Especially due to the effects of the opiate epidemic. I would think better painkillers that are not opiate, would help prevent people from getting hooked onto opiates via prescription due to having like a surgery. I have looked into why people become addicted to opiates about zero percent, but I've heard some anecdotes.
As far as I can tell, we've made minimal progress with inventing new painkillers. We got NSAIDs, steroids, opiates, anti-seizure medication for neuropathic pain, antidepressants for neuropathic pain, weed, capsaicin. Probably a few things I've missed. Like once a year I check to see if there's any new progress with painkillers, and it's usually nothing new. Why?
In particular I think we need a new class of painkillers.