90% or more of people undergoing total knee or hip replacement in 2017 received a prescription.
The prescription was for opioid pain relievers within 60 days of surgery, reports UPI.
This is up from 82% three years earlier, an 8% difference.
This increase occurred despite efforts to discourage opioid use because of the risk of addiction.
The dramatic increase persists in the face of myriad government and health system policies.