| Description |
Currently, there are few clinical studies demonstrating long-term opioid therapy effectiveness, although opioid prescribing has increased exponentially since the 1990s. This increased prescribing has brought with it a corresponding escalation in opioid misuse, abuse, and overdose related death. The benefits of long-term opioid therapy are hard to prove; however, the harms are easily identifiable. Primary care providers are often the first point of contact and the predominant prescribers of opioids for chronic pain. Yet, PCPs continue to express apprehension with how to safely prescribe and manage chronic pain effectively. As a result of this epidemic, there is a greater push for research, provider education, and development of safe prescribing guidelines. In review of the literature dating from 2003 to 2016, research was conducted to evaluate recent national and state prescribing guidelines. Our recommendations are based on national prescribing guidelines as well as Utah specific legislation. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies are reviewed, along with risk mitigation and ongoing monitoring for patients prescribed opioid therapy. This review aims to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic while providing clinicians with the latest and best practice guidelines for opioid prescribing and chronic pain management. |
