Opioid painkiller prescriptions vary greatly between states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recently released Vital Signs report indicates that out of the 259 million prescriptions for opioid painkiller that health care providers wrote in 2012, there were many more prescriptions in some states than in others.

The highest prescribing state according to the report was Alabama, where health care providers wrote nearly three times the amount of prescriptions per individual than in the lowest prescribing state, Hawaii. Many of the highest prescribing states are located in the South. Prior studies indicated that the general health status of the population does not adequately describe the variations in opioid painkiller prescriptions among regions.

Tom Frieden, MD, CDC Director, said in a statement, “Prescription drug overdose is epidemic in the United States.  All too often, and in far too many communities, the treatment is becoming the problem.” He continued, “Overdose rates are higher where these drugs are prescribed more frequently.  States and practices where prescribing rates are highest need to take a particularly hard look at ways to reduce the inappropriate prescription of these dangerous drugs.”

According to WebMD, opioid pain medication is used to treat moderate to severe pain, and can lead to serious side effects when used improperly.