Surgeon General pens unprecedented letter to fight opioid epidemic

The message to millions of physicians throughout the U.S. was somber and clear: It’s time to take the lead in the “unprecedented” war against opioid abuse.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy penned a heartfelt letter to doctors late last week, urging them to take action and refine the way they treat patients with chronic pain.

Time.com reported that overdose deaths have quadrupled since 1999. Murthy said in his letter that nearly 2 million people in America have a prescription opioid use disorder.

Murthy is asking doctors to educate themselves on the addictiveness of painkillers, citing the fact that 20 years ago, doctors were urged to be more aggressive about pain treatment. “Many of us were even taught – incorrectly – that opioids are not addictive when prescribed for legitimate pain,” he writes. He is also asking physicians to screen the people they say for opioid abuse disorder and provide them with ” evidence-based treatment.”