NEWS UPDATE	www.CRBestBuyDrugs.org
Opioid painkillers are highly effective in relieving acute severe pain, but they are only moderately effective in treating long-term chronic pain, according to the latest report on opiods from the Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs® project. The report recommends that opiods to treat chronic pain should not be taken until after other, less risky, pain relievers - such as acetaminophen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), or salsalate, have been tried. Although opioid drugs can be addictive and are prone to be abused and misused, the report finds that they are rarely addictive in people who genuinely need them to control pain. The Best Buy Drugs report chooses four drugs for people with moderate to severe chronic pain taking effectiveness, safety and side effects, convenience, and cost into account, These are: generic codeine plus acetaminophen, generic morphine extended release, generic oxycodone extended release, and generic oxycodone with acetaminophen. These medicines range widely in monthly cost, depending on dosing regimen with most low-dose regimens costing less than $150 a month. High doses and some extended release formulations of these medicines can be quite expensive. The report finds that there is no reason to take the brand-name versions of any opioids, including OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin. The report recommends that people talk to their doctor about non-drug measures such as cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, spinal manipulation, and physical rehab programs. Studies show they can ease chronic pain, either alone or in combination with drugs.
About the Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs TM Project Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs TM is an educational and outreach initiative that compares a variety of prescription drugs on price, effectiveness and safety to help consumers and their doctors identify the most effective and affordable medicines. The project combines evidence-based research on the comparative effectiveness and safety of prescription drugs with comprehensive nationwide data on drug prices. The information on drug effectiveness is derived from the Drug Effectiveness Review Project (DERP), a 15-state initiative. Price information is based on average retail prices paid in cash by consumers at the pharmacy. Every drug report is peer-reviewed by medical experts in the particular drug category. For information on other drug categories we have examined to date — heartburn and acid reflux drugs, high blood pressure, depression, arthritis and pain -- visit www.CRBestBuyDrugs.org Thanks for visiting, The Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs TM Team   Resources View Full Report We encourage you to download the full report about opioids for discussion with your doctor. For the full report click here. Read More About Treatment Options To learn more about treatment options for chronic pain and other conditions, visit Consumer Reports Health. Read Other Reports For information on 20 categories of medications and seven shopper’s guides, and to find out about upcoming reports, visit www.CRBestBuyDrugs.org Your Privacy Consumers Union does not sell or rent any information provided by you via this web site with any third party. No such information is shared with any third party except in limited circumstances to provide products and service to you or in response to a request from law enforcement. Read our Privacy Policy.
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