PA Medical News about Chronic Pain Treatment; Opioid Misuse; Risk Assessment

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Risk Assessment for Opioid Misuse in Chronic Pain Treatment
Advances in Pain Management, 06/30/09

Weaver MF et al. - Many medications, including opioids, are effective for chronic pain, whether due to cancer or chronic non-malignant pain. However, opioids carry risks of misuse. Universal precautions in pain management involve the use of a medication agreement and ongoing monitoring such as urine drug testing. Screening for aberrant medication-taking behaviors (AMTBs) with specific screening tools can aid clinicians in stratifying patients according to degree of risk for initiating or maintaining opioids. This helps determine which patients need closer monitoring in addition to universal precautions. AMTBs can be addressed with good communication and recognition of the underlying cause, whether due to addiction, pseudoaddiction, or comorbid psychiatric disorders.