CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines Are Making It Difficult For Cancer Patients To Obtain Pain Medication

"There has been a significant increase in cancer patients and survivors being unable to access their opioid prescriptions since 2016, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finalized opioid prescribing guidelines."

Percent of cancer patients and survivors who report being unable to get opioid prescription pain medication because the pharmacy did not have the particular drug in stock:
December 2016: 16%
May 2018: 41%

Percent of cancer patients and survivors who report being questioned by a pharmacist about why they needed their opioid pain medication:
December 2016: 16%
May 2018: 35%

Percent of cancer patients and survivors who report being unable to get their prescription pain medication because the pharmacist would not fill it for whatever reason even though the pharmacist had it in stock?
December 2016: 12%
May 2018: 27%

Percent of cancer patients and survivors who report being unable to get their opioid prescription pain medication because their insurance would not cover it:
December 2016: 11%
May 2018: 30%

Percent of cancer patients and survivors who report that their insurance company has limited them to just one pharmacy to go to for filling their opioid prescription pain medication.
December 2016: 14%
May 2018: 32%

Percent of cancer patients and survivors who report that their insurance company has reduced the number of times their opioid prescription can be refilled:
December 2016: 21%
May 2018: 36%

Percent of cancer patients and survivors who report that their insurance company has reduced the number of pills in their opioid prescription pain medication:
December 2016: 19%
May 2018: 25%