From 2006 to 2010, almost two thirds of US dialysis patients received at least one opioid prescription every year and >20% received chronic prescriptions.

More than 25% of dialysis patients using opioids received doses exceeding recommendations

Use of opioid medications was linked with higher risks of early death, discontinuation of dialysis, and the need for hospitalization in dialysis patients.

In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a clinical guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain.