Fatal overdoses from opioids have increased, while prescriptions for them have decreased, reported The New York Times.
The news outlet reported that IMS Health shows that there has been a 12% drop in prescriptions for opioids since 2012.
But, it does not mean deaths have done the same.
Citing federal data, The New York Times reported that deaths from the power painkillers have continued to increase, taking 28,000 lives in 2014.
According to the report, this is the first substantial drop in prescriptions since 1996 when OxyContin was introduced into the market.
