It has been known for centuries that opioids are highly addictive when consumed for prolonged periods of time. Pharmacologic tolerance to the efficacy of opioid analgesic results in a need for increased dosing and drug dependence. One must question the empirical sources of evidence that justified the belief that prescription opioids were safe and effective for treating acute and chronic pain. Progress in developing and applying evidence-based analgesic therapies for acute inflammatory pain is presented.