Unintended consequences of United States chronic pain guidelines.

In 2015, the United States of America (USA) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an issue brief that addressed opioid addiction, opioid overdoses, and opioid-related deaths as a public health concern within the country. After collaboration with state and stakeholder organizations, the HHS identified three target initiatives aimed to mitigate the negative consequences of opioid use within the USA. One initiative included implementation of guidelines to help reduce inappropriate opioid prescribing with a goal to reduce morbidity and mortality. The aim of this commentary is to discuss the misapplication and unintended consequences of the USA CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.