The alarming abuse of opioid painkillers prompted the federal government to issue new guidelines for prescribing doctors three years ago.

But now those guidelines may have gone too far for some in chronic pain who really need those drugs to survive.

300 medical experts have signed a letter to the CDC saying those stringent guidelines are harmful to some.

To find out more, KCBS Radio news anchors Jeff Bell and Patti Reising spoke with Dr. Dan Alford. He signed the letter and directs addiction medicine at Boston University's School of Medicine.