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The strongest group of narcotic painkillers are prescribed only for patients who have already taken weaker opioids and need more pain relief, or used in hospital settings, such as post-surgical pain relief. Hydromorphone (sold under the brand name Dilaudid) and meperidine (Demerol) are more powerful opioid painkillers. They, along with morphine, are often given in hospital settings. Oxycodone (often sold as OxyContin) and fentanyl are both strong opioids and are usually prescribed for severe pain, especially cancer. Fentanyl can be up to 100 times stronger than morphine and is prescribed only in patch or lollipop form. It is also used in combination with other drugs for surgical anesthesia. Who Is Most At Risk? About 50 million people in the US undergo outpatient surgery each year and receive prescription painkillers. The National Safety Council reported in 2016 that at one time or another, 99 percent of US doctors prescribed opioid painkillers for a period that exceeded the federal government’s recommended three-day dosage limit. The government established the three-day recommended limit because research into millions of patients had uncovered a sobering statistic: patients receiving prescription narcotics for more than six days had a much higher chance of becoming addicted or dependent. It is estimated that more than 3.3 million Americans misuse prescription painkillers every year. The rate of fatal prescription overdoses is highest among men between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four, with a rate of 25.9 deaths per 100,000 people. Older adults are at risk of prescription drug abuse and overdoses, often unintentionally. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that

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Painkillers: The Scourge on Society