CDC issues new guidelines on opiate prescribing

In its first set of guidelines for prescribing opiates, the CDC said the risks of the medications outweigh the benefits for most people with long-term pain, other than patients being treated for cancer or those at the end of life. Nearly all of the prescription opiates on the market are as addictive as heroin, said CDC director Thomas Frieden. Yet prescription opiates often do a very poor job in controlling chronic pain. The CDC's 12 new guidelines are intended for primary care physicians, who prescribe nearly half of opiates. Doctors aren't legally obligated to follow the recommendations.