Addressing Addiction, Australia Reconsiders Opioid Pain Relief Treatment

Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin. CNN

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) is encouraging Australia’s healthcare professionals to reconsider opioid treatment as it is currently administered.

At least one prescription for opioids is dispensed to more than three million people annually, according to 2016-2017 statistics collected by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. However, although opioids are effective in relieving pain, long term use of the drug can have serious side effects such as addiction and unintended overdose.