In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control enacted new guidelines to respond to the growing opioid abuse, addiction, and overdose epidemic. The guidelines do not apply to patients with cancer pain, patients who are in end-of-life treatment, or palliative care. The guidelines are for primary care doctors who are prescribing opioids for patients with chronic pain – pain that lasts more than three months.

The CDC reports that opioid prescription use has quadrupled since 1999. Since that time, 183,000 people died due to opioid use and abuse. Physicians are encouraged to recommend non-opioid remedies such as behavior therapy, and non-opioid drugs such as anti-inflammatories.

Chronic pain guidelines

The CDC guidelines recommend that doctors:

• Prescribe the lowest dosages possible
• Use immediate-releasing opioids instead of extended-release
• Prescribe for the minimal length of time possible
• Schedule regular appointments to monitor the patient’s pain and the effects of the opioid prescriptions on the patient

The doctors should also:

• Establish a list of goals and a treatment plan for the patient who is using opioids
• Have a full understanding of what each opioid they prescribe does – what the benefits and risks are
• Participate in prescription drug monitoring programs
• Understand how benzoadiazepines can affect the patient if they are prescribed concurrently with opioids
• Conduct regular urine tests to determine which drugs are in the patient’s body and in what amounts
• Have a plan to treat opioid use disorders

Differences from prior opioid prescription guidelines

The new guidelines:

• Have lower dosage recommendations; dosages which are the equivalent of 20 to 50 mg of morphine place the patient at risk
• Recognize that anyone—not just high-risk patients—who is prescribed opioids is at risk for abuse and addiction
• Recommend the use of state run drug monitoring programs which, in addition to monitoring the drugs that are prescribed, monitor patient prescription abuse statewide so that doctors can better determine which patients have a history of abuse and which patients are high-risk for abuse
• Have more precise suggestions for monitoring and terminating opioid use

The new CDC guidelines also help create better programs and resources nationwide for addressing the opioid abuse epidemic, such as providing better education, more friendly technology, providing quicker response strategies, and coordinating opioid abuse information with other government programs, such as Medicaid and workers’ compensation.

If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid use or has suffered a deadly overdose after being prescribed these medications, the South Carolina dangerous drug attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC are ready to help. We bring legal complaints against providers of these medications and the physicians who improperly prescribe them. To understand your rights, please call us at 803-327-7800 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.