BRIEF—Study finds no additional benefit for opioids over OTC painkillers

A study comparing the efficacy of opioids with non-opioid alternatives in an emergency room setting has found no difference in pain reduction after two hours with ibuprofen and acetaminophen versus three comparison opioid-acetaminophen combinations.

The study, published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, randomized 416 patients with moderate to severe acute extremity pain.

The study comes as the USA faces a growing opioid epidemic and  increasing agitation from lawmakers who allege pharmaceutical companies downplayed the risks of opioids to physicians and patients.