There are claims that highly addictive pain medications are being over-prescribed post-surgery in New Zealand.
Auckland University research, led by medical students, has found surgeons prescribe double the number of opioids a patient actually consumes.
It's found patients will take more drugs if they have more.
Middlemore Hospital Junior Doctor Chris Varghese told Mike Hosking that he hopes the study leads to a change.
He says it offers healthcare workers practical guidelines, to prescribe based on need.
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