Letters
Rise in opioid prescribing
Rising opioid prescriptions may not be a crisis
BMJ 2019; 367 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l6452 (Published 12 November 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;367:l6452
- Lukas Radbruch, physician
- Department of Palliative Medicine, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- lukas.radbruch{at}malteser.org
Smith and colleagues describe widespread opioid prescribing and use in European and North American countries.1 The editorial, however, neglects some important factors, such as the contribution of illicit opioids, that play a major role in the US opioid crisis.
The authors do not mention other literature highlighting the lack of an opioid crisis in Europe.2 They …
Log in
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Subscribe from £173 *
Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
* For online subscription
Access this article for 1 day for:
£38 / $45 / €42 (excludes VAT)
You can download a PDF version for your personal record.