Opioids: Clinical Practice, Monitoring, and Medicolegal Considerations

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pharmacology
• Medical Ethics

Background:

• Opioid use, morbidity, and mortality have surged in the US over the last decade.
• Multifactorial causes include external pressures on prescribers and fear of medicolegal liability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current opioid prescribing practices and provide a basis for best practice recommendations.
• To inform clinicians about opioid prescribing prevalence, risk assessment tools, new guidelines, and documentation strategies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of opioid prescribing trends.
• Analysis of clinical tools for patient risk assessment.
• Examination of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for opioid use.
• Review of legal principles and risk mitigation strategies for prescribers.

Main Results:

• Recognition of the widespread issue of opioid over-prescribing in the US.
• Identification of key patient risk factors for opioid misuse, abuse, and diversion.
• Emphasis on the importance of the CDC's opioid prescribing guidelines.

Conclusions:

• Familiarity with CDC guidelines aids in adopting best practices for maximizing therapeutic benefits and minimizing patient harm.
• Understanding legal principles and risk mitigation strategies can reduce clinician medicolegal exposure related to opioid prescribing.