In the shadow of an opioid crisis, Super Bowl ad spotlights chronic pain patients

Abuse of prescription painkillers has grabbed center stage in conversations about the nation’s opioid epidemic. Presidential candidates talk openly about their relatives’ struggles with addiction. Officials at the state and federal levels ponder ways to restrict the number and dosage of pills doctors can prescribe.

That’s why it was so striking to see a Super Bowl ad that took a different tack: It aimed to stir empathy for patients who truly need the drugs to manage chronic pain.

The 1-minute spot targeted viewers who “need an opioid to manage chronic pain” — and who suffer from a common side effect of the pain relievers, constipation.

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