Empowering the Pedorthist by Enhancing their Role in the Opioid Crisis
IMPROVE DOCTOR AND PATIENT COMMUNICATION
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention’s (CDC) Guideline for
Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain pro-
vides recommendations to primary care
doctors about the appropriate prescrib-
ing of opioid pain medications to improve
pain management and patient safety:
• It helps primary care doctors determine
when to start or continue opioids for
chronic pain
• It gives guidance about medication
dose and duration, and on following up
with patients and discontinuing medica-
tion if needed
• It helps doctors assess the risks and
benefits of using opioids Doctors and
patients should talk about:
• How opioids can reduce pain during
short-term use, yet there is not enough
evidence that opioids control chronic
pain effectively long term
• Nonopioid treatments (such as exer-
cise, nonopioid medications, and cog-
nitive behavioral therapy) that can be
effective with less harm
• Precautions that can be taken to
decrease risks including checking drug
monitoring databases, conducting urine
drug testing, and prescribing naloxone if
needed to prevent fatal overdose
• Protecting your family and friends by
storing opioids in a secure, locked loca-
tion and safely disposing unused opioids.
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Pedorthic Footcare Association | www.pedorthics.org
• Importance of regular follow-up