An Overview of Commonly Prescribed Opioids and Their Non-Medical Usage

The opioid epidemic is one of the most significant current public health crises in the United States. This review examines the medical and non-medical use of commonly prescribed opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, codeine, fentanyl, methadone, and buprenorphine. In medical settings, these opioids play essential roles in pain management, palliative care, and opioid use disorder treatment under strict supervision [1]. However, their misuse in non-medical contexts contributes significantly to addiction, overdose fatalities, and evolving patterns of substance use, such as the increased prevalence of synthetic opioids like illicit fentanyl [2]. The review highlights the complex interplay between prescribing practices and their unintended consequences such as the shift from prescription opioid misuse to heroin and synthetic opioids.