Opioid-prescribing guidelines were leased by the Massachusetts Medical Society on Thursday to ensure correct treatment is provided to patients in pain without any risk of the epidemic of opioid abuse.

Dennis M. Dimitri, president of the statewide physicians association, said opioids are being prescribed responsibly by most physicians, but over-prescription sometimes causes a problem.

Online and in-person pain-management courses are also being provided by the medical society to doctors and other health professionals at free of cost. The association is also looking forward to join hands with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids to create awareness among patients about proper storage and disposal of medications.

According to Dimitri, people who are not prescribed the drugs are usually the subject of painkiller abuse. He pointed towards statistics available from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showing 80% of misuse of prescription pain medications is seen in people who use drugs prescribed to someone else.

The new guidelines ask physicians to change the approach when they start opioid treatment for patients. For example, they must check if patients were previously involved in substance abuse and inform them about the health risks of the drug use.

Dimitri said that he has seen many patients with chronic pain. “Pain is a complex symptom that can be related to many different factors. Teasing that all out and trying to figure out the best way of treating goes far beyond deciding whether you want to prescribe opioids”, added Dimitri.

Opioid-related overdoses killed more than 1,000 Massachusetts residents last year. Governor Charlie Baker said on Monday that a survey showed that only 36% of Massachusetts adults were advised by doctors not to use prescription painkillers as they cause addiction and pose health risks.