Opioid Prescriptions Drop Sharply Among State Workers
(WorldNews Health)

The agency that manages health care for California´s massive state workforce is reporting a major reduction in opioid prescriptions, reflecting a national trend of physicians cutting back on the addictive drugs. Insurance claims for opioids, which are prescribed to help people manage pain, decreased almost 19% in a single year among the 1.5 million Californians served by the California Public Employees´ Retirement System. CalPERS manages health benefits for employees and retirees of state and local agencies and public schools, and their families. Most notably, doctors reduced the daily dose and duration of opioid treatment: The number of new users who were prescribed large doses dropped 85%...