Supporters of 2016 Draft Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain get a helping hand of Attorney General Tim Fox who said the new proposed opioid guidelines could help in the treatment of chronic pain patients.

Fox said prescription drug abuse is one of the major problems in many US states and Montana is among them. Fox believes the new guidelines may assist in reducing the addiction of prescription drug. There are many patients in the US who need those medicines, and it’s their right to get them, Fox said.

“We want to make sure that we do everything we can to get them to the people that need them and make sure that they are not abused, and people that who don’t need them and have not had them prescribed to them should not have them”, Fox added.

The 2016 Draft Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends one dozen steps to medical providers to consider in three potential opioid use areas. First of all, they have to determine the time when to initiate opioids for chronic pain, as per the guidelines. In addition, they should be aware of opioid selection, dosage, duration, and time to discontinuation. Third, and the last, is to know risk and harms of opioid use.

There are 36 state attorneys general, including Fox, who have called the CDC to consider the proposed guidelines in a letter from the National Association of Attorneys General. According to Fox, the guidelines and helpful and medical providers should consider them before prescribing opioid to their patients. These can provide safety to a patient and improve quality of life, Fox added.