Opioid prescriptions are declining
Opioid prescriptions are declining. Will it ease the addiction epidemic? OxyContin and other opioids were prescribed less in the United States starting in 2013. Opioid prescriptions in the United States have declined by at least 12 percent since 2012, but experts worry it won't stop Americans from overdosing on heroin and fentanyl. In America's opioid epidemic, a news analysis of several sources reflects a glimmer of hope. For the first time in two decades, the number of opioid prescriptions has declined, an analysis of data by The New York Times found Friday. Spurred by increased public concerns about the dangers of opioids, the drop in the number of prescriptions reflects a shift in attitude among physicians, now more carefully weighing the drugs' effectiveness as pain medication against their high potential for addiction. Yet experts are unsure how immediate an impact that fewer prescriptions will have on the crisis. "The deaths [have still]...