When Purdue Pharma’s OxyContin swept through the prescription pain medication market in the mid-1990s, life in the United States was forever changed. At that time, it was not known that prescription opioids, like OxyContin, would lead to addiction, homelessness, joblessness, and an estimated death toll of over 200,000 in the 21st century alone. Since 1999, the number of annual overdose deaths involving opioids, both illicit and prescription, have quintupled. In 2020 alone, roughly 16,000 people died from overdoses involving prescription opioids. As these harrowing years have continued, the Opioid Epidemic has progressed from the misuse of prescription opioids to illicit drug markets filled with dangerous substances like heroin, fentanyl, and carfentanil.

While considerable efforts have been made to address the disturbing effects of opioid addiction, there is no denying that there have been concerningly few resources devoted to the upstream cause of many opioid addictions: the field of pain management. While numerous factors are responsible for the state of the Opioid Epidemic today, it is widely agreed upon that the root cause was prescription opioids. Yet, somehow, the origin of this story is left forgotten for the problems of now. This paper focuses on how addressing the origin of one the saddest tales in American history can help prevent addiction and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans. Specifically, this paper will advocate for a new systematic approach to pain management that addresses current shortcomings and failures.