Managing Pain in an Era of Opioid Addiction

Managing pain, whether acute or chronic, has taken a whole new look during the past 3 decades. Pain management continues to be a long-standing public health concern. The ongoing opioid epidemic has changed how the term pain is not only treated but viewed throughout all lenses of society. The following content will focus on pain management of clients aged 18 years or older with acute and/or chronic pain in the outpatient setting. As advocates and gatekeepers, primary care providers must have knowledge of evidence-based guidelines and recommendations of pain management to provide the competent, holistic care and education clients deserve.