Announcing the CDC guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain

Debra Houry; Grant Baldwin

doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2016.03.007

Announcing the CDC guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain

J Safety Res. 2016 Jun:57:83-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2016.03.007. Epub 2016 Apr 16.

Authors

Debra Houry¹, Grant Baldwin²

Affiliations

¹ National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, United States. Electronic address: Vjz7@cdc.gov.
² National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, United States.

PMID: 27178083
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2016.03.007

Abstract

This guideline provides recommendations for primary care providers who are prescribing opioids for chronic pain outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care. The guideline addresses: (a) when to initiate or continue opioids for chronic pain; (b) opioid selection, dosage, duration, follow-up, and discontinuation; and (c) assessing risk and addressing harms of opioid use. This guideline is intended to improve communication between providers and patients about the risks and benefits of opioid therapy for chronic pain, improve the safety and effectiveness of pain treatment, and reduce the risks associated with long-term opioid therapy, including abuse, dependence, overdose, and death (Dowell D, Haegerich TM, Chou R. CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain - United States, 2016. MMWR Recomm Rep 2016;65:1-49. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.rr6501e1.).

Keywords: Chronic pain; Opioids; Prescription drug.

Publication types

Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

Analgesics, Opioid / administration & dosage*
Analgesics, Opioid / adverse effects*
Chronic Pain / drug therapy*
Humans
Opioid-Related Disorders / drug therapy*
Risk Assessment
United States

Substances

Analgesics, Opioid