Improving the way opioids are prescribed through clinical practice guidelines can ensure patients have access to safer, more effective pain treatment while reducing the number of people who potentially misuse or overdose from these drugs. Reducing exposure to prescription opioids, for situations where the risks of opioids outweigh the benefits, is a crucial part of prevention.
CDC published the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain to provide recommendations for prescribing opioid pain medication for patients 18 and older in primary care settings. Recommendations focus on the use of opioids in treating chronic pain (pain lasting longer than 3 months or past the time of normal tissue healing) outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care.
Expand access to and use of naloxone – a non-addictive, life-saving drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose when administered in time.
Access to naloxone can be expanded through:
- Standing orders at pharmacies
- Distribution through local, community-based organizations
- Access and use by law enforcement officials
- Training for basic emergency medical service staff on how to administer the drug
It is important to provide treatment for people struggling with opioid use disorder to prevent overdose or even death.
Provide Treatment
To treat those with opioid use disorder, it is crucial to expand access to evidence-based treatments, including medication-assisted therapy (MAT). MAT is a comprehensive way to address the needs of individuals that combines the use of medication (methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone) with counseling and behavioral therapies.