CDC updates clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control announced on Feb. 10 that it is in the process of updating and expanding its 2016 guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain.

A draft of the guideline is available for public comment in the Federal Register and the public comment period will be open for 60 days through April 11, 2022, the CDC said in a statement.

The guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for clinicians who provide pain care, including healthcare professionals who prescribe opioids for outpatients 18 years and older with acute, subacute, or chronic pain.

The new guidelines stipulate that:

When opioids are started for opioid-naïve patients with acute, subacute, or chronic pain, clinicians should prescribe the lowest dosage to achieve expected effects. If opioids are continued for subacute or chronic pain, clinicians should use caution when prescribing opioids at any dosage, should carefully evaluate individual benefits and risks when considering increasing dosage, and should avoid increasing dosage above levels likely to yield diminishing returns in benefits relative to risks to patients.”

“This comment period provides another critical opportunity for diverse audiences to offer their perspective on the draft clinical practice guideline. We want to hear many voices from the public, including people living with pain and the healthcare providers who help their patients manage pain,” Christopher M. Jones, PharmD, DrPH, acting director for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said in a statement. The ultimate goal of this clinical practice guideline is to help people set and achieve their personal goals to reduce their pain and improve their function and quality of life. Getting feedback from the public is essential to achieving this goal.”

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