The Opioid Epidemic and the Need for a Pain Strategy

Opioid therapies represent an important and widely used treatment for chronic noncancer pain despite substantial risks of misuse and harm, including death. These risks have grown dramatically since the 1990s, with opioids now representing a major cause of death that continues to grow. These risks require physicians to take a strategic approach to delivering opioid therapy. Opioids should be part of a comprehensive pain management approach including non-opioid medications, conservative care, and interventional pain therapies. Opioid therapies should also be constrained by policies including dosage restrictions, urine drug testing, and checks of prescription drug monitoring programs.