“One year ago, we pledged to cut nationwide opioid prescriptions by one-third. Already during my time in office, we have reduced the total amount of opioid prescribed by 34 percent. So obviously we were curious about whether the claim about already reaching the milestone within a year was valid. Opioid prescriptions have been declining for years, having reached a peak in 2010 or 2012, depending on what data set you use. The reasons for this disconnect are the subject of dispute among medical professionals, with some arguing that cutting back on opioid prescriptions may have led some people to switch to heroin or synthetic opioids.

Source: Washington Post May 02, 2019 07:00 UTC