A recent study found that prescription opioids, including generic Vicodin, oxycodone or fentanyl patches,
worked no better than over-the-counter drugs like generic Tylenol and ibuprofen. The lead author of the study said there’s no reason to use opioids if they don’t work better than the less risky drugs particularly because of “their really nasty side effects – death and addiction”.

This study focused on opioids used for chronic pain, so you might think there would be a benefit for their use in controlling acute or short-term pain. However, other research has revealed that over-the-counter medicines can also work as well as opioids at treating acute pain like broken bones, kidney stones, or dental work. Overall, it appears use of prescription opioids is not warranted.

You can find more details about the study here.