Pain management is the most common reason people seek medical care and the leading reason that people take prescription drugs (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2015). According to Ignatavicius and Workman (2015), chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts for a time period greater than three months. A recent research report indicates that more than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, interfering with personal relationships, activities of daily living, and job performance (American Academy of Pain Medicine, 2016). Opioids are the primary treatment option for pain management in the U.S (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). In spite of this, the misuse and abuse of prescription opioids has led to a nationwide opioid epidemic;
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Opioids are narcotic agonists that bind to opioid receptors in the central nervous system (CNS), blocking pain and producing a sense of well being (Karch, 2013). In the healthcare setting, opioids are often prescribed following surgery or injury, as part of a treatment regimen for cancer, or in palliative and end-of-life care. However, in recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the use of prescription opioids to treat chronic pain in non-cancer patients (Cobaugh et al., …show more content…
The United States Congress enacted the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which established a scheduling system for controlled substances based on potential medical application (Dowell, Haegerich & Chou, 2016). Opioids such as morphine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone are schedule II controlled substances and are acknowledged to have some medical value with a high potential for abuse leading to severe psychological or physical dependence (Dowell et al., 2016). With this classification, it is essential that the U.S. healthcare system implement the highest standard of regulation with prescription opioids. At the start of their careers, all physicians nationwide take the Hippocratic Oath to “do no harm.” Therefore, it is a physician’s responsibility to strictly abide by the 2016 CDC guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain (Dowell et al., 2016). This guideline provides the most up to date evidence-based recommendations for health care professionals who are prescribing opioids for chronic pain other than cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care (Dowell et al., 2016). Any practice that undercuts the CDC guidelines is considered to be malpractice and increases harm to the
Opioids are narcotic agonists that bind to opioid receptors in the central nervous system (CNS), blocking pain and producing a sense of well being (Karch, 2013). In the healthcare setting, opioids are often prescribed following surgery or injury, as part of a treatment regimen for cancer, or in palliative and end-of-life care. However, in recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the use of prescription opioids to treat chronic pain in non-cancer patients (Cobaugh et al., …show more content…
The United States Congress enacted the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which established a scheduling system for controlled substances based on potential medical application (Dowell, Haegerich & Chou, 2016). Opioids such as morphine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone are schedule II controlled substances and are acknowledged to have some medical value with a high potential for abuse leading to severe psychological or physical dependence (Dowell et al., 2016). With this classification, it is essential that the U.S. healthcare system implement the highest standard of regulation with prescription opioids. At the start of their careers, all physicians nationwide take the Hippocratic Oath to “do no harm.” Therefore, it is a physician’s responsibility to strictly abide by the 2016 CDC guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain (Dowell et al., 2016). This guideline provides the most up to date evidence-based recommendations for health care professionals who are prescribing opioids for chronic pain other than cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care (Dowell et al., 2016). Any practice that undercuts the CDC guidelines is considered to be malpractice and increases harm to the