Researchers find doctors played a critical role in the nation's opioid crisis

MedicalXpress | Jul 16, 2026

The official sum of opioid-related settlements between U.S. state and local governments and major pharmaceutical opioid manufacturers, marketers, distributors and retailers recently reached $58.58 billion. Stark statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also indicate that since 1999, approximately 860,000 people have died from an opioid overdose, with nearly 318,000 of those deaths attributable to prescription opioids. In 2024, 73.4% of drug overdose deaths were attributable to opioids, with 65.1% of those deaths from illegally made fentanyls, according to the CDC.