Many studies have shown that the medical use of analgesic drugs is safe and does not cause psychological addiction in those who had not previously shown such tendencies. Even when patients can administer drugs themselves, they rarely deliver more than they need to suppress the pain. Addiction should be placed in proper perspective. Physical dependence and tolerance are normal physiologic consequences of extended opioid therapy and are not the same as addiction. Addiction is a behavioral syndrome characterized by psychological dependence and aberrant drug-related behaviors.
Addicts compulsively use drugs for non-medical purposes despite harmful effects.
A person who is an addict may also be physically dependent or tolerant. Patients with chronic pain should not be considered addicts or habitu s merely because they are being treated with opioids. The provision of appropriate pain relief rarely poses a serious risk of respiratory depression. Moreover, provision of pain medication is ethically and professional accepted even when such treatment may hasten the patient's death, if the medication is intended to alleviate pain and severe discomfort, not to cause death, and is provided in accord with accepted medical practice or reasons of conscience. Hospitals and other healthcare providers should examine ways to promote effective pain management to remove existing barriers to such care.