Opioid Basics
Opioids are a class of drugs used to reduce pain.
Prescription opioids can be prescribed by doctors to treat moderate to severe pain, but can also have serious risks and side effects.
Common types are oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine, and methadone.
The number of drug overdose deaths remain high, and the majority of these deaths, almost 70% in 2018, involved opioids.3
References
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- Algren D, Monteilh C, Rubin C, et al. Fentanyl-associated fatalities among illicit drug users in Wayne County, Michigan (July 2005-May 2006). Journal Of Medical Toxicology: Official Journal of the American College Of Medical Toxicology [serial online]. March 2013; 9(1):106-115.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vital Signs: Today’s Heroin Epidemic – United States, 2012. MMWR 2015; 64(26);719-725.
- Wilson N, Kariisa M, Seth P, et al. Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths—United States, 2017-2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:290-297.
Page last reviewed: March 19, 2020