Research from the 2003-2013 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health recently published in The Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that while non-medical use of prescription opioids has decreased slightly in recent years, the incidence of disorders related to opioid use, as well as frequency of use, and related mortality have increased among U.S. adults ages 18-64. Other research from the Centers for Disease Control, published in 2011, shows that the non-medical use of prescription painkillers costs health insurers up to $72.5 billion annually in direct healthcare costs. What can be done to stem this tide of rising opioid abuse and healthcare costs? Integrative healthcare has proven to be a useful tool in treating chronic pain and controlling healthcare costs. Click here to read the latest CHP white paper “The Cost of Chronic Pain: How Complementary and Alternative Medicine Can Provide Relief.”