Only prescribe opioids for short durations, advises Texas hospital group

Texas isn't one of the nation's hotbeds of opioid addiction, but concern about the ongoing crisis has caused the state's association of hospitals to give ERs advice on how to curb the misuse and abuse of such painkillers. In guidelines released Friday, the Texas Hospital Association calls on emergency departments to write prescriptions for the shortest duration possible for patients being discharged and to only use short-acting opioids.