Practical Application of the CDC Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids

Course overview

At the conclusion of this program, the participant will be able to: 1.Describe the key therapeutic goals of the 2022 Proposed CDC Recommendations/Guidelines for prescribing opioids for outpatients. 2. Describe the fundamental concepts of pain management, including definitions such as: a) addiction; b) tolerance; c) dependency; d) hyperalgesia; e) allodynia. 3. State key principles for assessing patients in pain, identifying risk factors and behaviors that are associated with opioid misuse, abuse, and addiction. 4. State examples of therapeutic options for managing pain, including nonpharmacologic options and pharmacologic (non-opioid and opioid analgesic) therapies. 5. Compare and contrast the risks and benefits for utilizing opioid therapy for acute and chronic pain and state how and when to follow-up when patients are prescribed opioid analgesics. 6. State the main characteristics of patients who would be identified as "high risk", "moderate risk" and "low risk" for chronic opioid use. 7. State how to manage patients safely and effectively on opioid analgesics in the acute and chronic pain settings, including initiating therapy, titrating, and discontinuing use of opioid analgesics. 8. Define a reasonable quantity of opioids to prescribe / dispense to a patient with acute pain and chronic non-cancer pain. 9. Describe how to counsel patients and caregivers regarding the safe use on naloxone for opioid overdose. 10. State key educational principles that should be applied to all patients and caregivers regarding the safe use of opioid analgesics, including, proper storage and disposal.