The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new guideline for prescription opioids as a part of its fight against drug addiction, abuse and overdose.
The voluntary guideline will advise primary care physicians (PCPs) on how they should be prescribing opioid drugs for chronic pain, which is defined as pain that lasts for at least three months. The CDC focused on PCPs because they are responsible for nearly 50 percent of all opioid prescriptions. The guideline does not apply to cancer, palliative and end-of-life treatments.
"More than 40 Americans die each day from prescription opioid overdoses, we must act now," CDC Director Tom Frieden said. "Overprescribing opioids - largely for chronic pain - is a key driver of America's drug-overdose epidemic. The guideline will give physicians and patients the information they need to make more informed decisions about treatment."
With the new guideline, which includes 12 points, PCPs should have a better idea of when they should start their patients on opioids and what kind of opioid medications will work best for each situation. The guideline recommends that PCPs try to use alternative options for pain management that do not involve opioids, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, before prescribing opioids. If nonopioid therapy is ineffective, PCPs should always prescribe the lowest dose possible to reduce a patient's risk of misuse, which can lead to overdoses.
"Doctors want to help patients in pain and are worried about opioid misuse and addiction," said Debra Houry, director of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. "This guideline will help equip them with the knowledge and guidance needed to talk with their patients about how to manage pain in the safest, most effective manner."
The CDC reported that, in 2014, more people died from drug overdoses than ever recorded before with more than 60 percent of them involving an opioid. Prescription opioids, specifically, were responsible for more than 14,000 deaths that year.
The federal health agency added that, in 2014, nearly two million Americans either abused or were dependent on their prescription drugs. This rate could increase if doctors continue to prescribe opioids without following the new guideline.
The guideline was developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method.
