(Image via pixabay.com)Up to one third of Irish people suffer from chronic pain on a daily basis.
Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesiology Dr. Conor Hearty says this has resulted in an increase in opioid dependency in Irish society.
More than 1.1 million prescriptions for the opioid pain reliever were issued last year.
Dr. Hearty, says people are seeking help for pain and becoming addicts.
Overuse of pharmaceutical drugs like codeine can result in severe damage to the liver and kidneys, as well as an increased risk of depression.
