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    Inform Patients About Opioid Risks

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    Take action

    Ask your Representative to cosponsor the Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act by sending the letter below.

    While most people who take prescription opioids will not develop addiction, patients and their families should be advised of the risks and alternatives whenever these medications are prescribed. Those in recovery face increased risk of relapse and overdose when prescribed opioids, and risks also arise from the potential for unused medicine to be diverted and misused by others.

    Many patients are not aware of the risks associated with prescription opioids.[1][2][3][4]

    Ask your representative to cosponsor the Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act (H.R. 1185), which would create a grant program to incentivize states to require prescribers to discuss the addictive qualities of opioids and inform patients of alternative treatment options prior to prescribing opioids for acute pain.