Opioid Prescribing Best Practices
Recommendations, tools, sample policies and protocols can be found in Opioid Prescribing Best Practices. This data distributes information on chronic pain, pain experienced by specific age populations and particular requirements involved with these medication's dispensing.
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CDC Opioid Prescribing Recommendations
These are the recommended practices from the CDC for prescribing opioids for the treatment of chronic pain in the clinical setting. These recommendations are not intended for the use of opioids in treating active cancer, palliative care or end-o- life care.
By following these recommendations, you and your healthcare team may reduce risks associated with long-term opioid therapy.
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Opioid Knowledge Assessment Tool
Healthcare facilities can use this assessment for practitioners who prescribe, dispense and/or administer opioid products. The assessment tool addresses selection, dosing and patient monitoring when using opioid products. This tool was developed by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Medical Society.
Aggregating and analyzing the results of practitioner assessments can help healthcare facilities identify opportunities for improvement and aid in the development of targeted, high-leverage strategies to improve the safe use of opioids.
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Sample Policy for Prescribing Controlled Substances
This is a sample policy that provides guidelines for the appropriate actions needed when a patient, suspected of abusing drugs, requests a prescription for a controlled substance from an emergency practitioner. This resource aims to provide practitioners with an outlined method for handling prescribing concerns related to individuals who chronically use opioids.
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CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
These clinical practice guidelines have been developed to provide recommendations for prescribing opioid pain medications in the primary care setting while establishing safer, more effective treatment of chronic pain.
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WHO Guidelines on the Pharmacological Treatment of Persisting Pain in Children
Pain in the pediatric population can be challenging, but it cannot be ignored. These evidence-based guidelines can help organizations design policies and procedures to improve the management of pain in children. The guidelines provide an overview of pain classifications, evaluation of pain in children and recommended treatments according to the level of pain. In addition, background information is provided to support clinical recommendations.
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Safe Prescribing of Opioids in Pediatric and Adolescent Populations
A sample policy, developed by the state of Pennsylvania, addresses the appropriate management of pain in pediatric patients. The policy uses evidence-based practice guidelines to address the use of opioids and the prevention of opioid use disorder while providing an overview of pain in children.
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How to Make an Inquiry Using PMP Aware
The Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) requires dispensers (pharmacies as well as other practitioners dispensing to their patients) of controlled substances and other drugs of concern to report the essential data elements of those transactions to the program. The program houses this data in a secure database and makes that information available to authorized users — primarily prescribers and dispensers caring for their own patients.
This downloadable document will walk you through the process of making an inquiry within the PMP Aware database.