Opioid Crisis

Safe Opioid Use – Information for Patients

MedlinePlus health topic page for patients on safe opioid use, including questions to ask and information to share with your healthcare provider when considering a prescription opioid for treatment of pain from an injury or surgery, pain due to a severe health condition, or chronic pain.

CDC Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for primary care clinicians who are prescribing opioids for adult patients with acute, subacute, or chronic pain outside of active cancer or sickle cell disease treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Deprescribing Opioid Analgesics

International guidelines for general practitioners on opioid analgesic deprescribing in adults. Recommendations include implementing a deprescribing plan when opioids are first prescribed and gradual and individualized deprescribing, with regular monitoring and review. Deprescribing may not be appropriate for every patient.

CDC Healthcare Provider Trainings

Full and mini training modules and patient cases to assist clinicians and other healthcare professionals in providing patient-centered care for pain management, treating opioid use disorder in the emergency department, pregnancy, tapering, and more.

Clinical Screening Tool for Substance Use in Pain Management

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network has a scientifically validated online screening tool designed to assess a patient’s risk for substance misuse and substance use disorder in the setting of pain management, and to assist the healthcare provider with prevention and treatment strategies.

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs

A prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) is an electronic database that tracks controlled substance prescriptions. PDMPs can help identify patients who may be misusing prescription opioids or other prescription drugs and who may be at risk for overdose.

Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommendations for treating women with substance use disorder in pregnancy.

HHS Report on Opioid Use, Misuse, and Overdose in Women

An initiative of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Women’s Health (OWH) that examines prevention, treatment, and recovery issues for women who misuse opioids, have opioid use disorders, and/or overdose on opioids.