• Mayo Clinic Minute: When are opioids OK to take?

a pharmacist or medical staff person holding prescription medicine bottle while talking to patientWarnings about the risks of taking prescription opioid pain medication have been all over the news headlines recently. Medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine are all used to treat acute and chronic pain. But with all of the attention given to the dangers of these drugs, how do you know when it's appropriate to take them?

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, reporter Vivien Williams discusses when it's OK to take opioid pain relievers with pain management specialist Dr. Mike Hooten.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: The broadcast-quality video pkg (0:58) is in the downloads. Read the script.