- Guidelines provide outlines, steps, and approaches for the use of chronic opioid therapy (COT) in chronic pain to evaluate and manage pain patients.
- Guidelines offer recommendations supported by evidence for the use of COT in chronic noncancer pain, and can be used to estimate risk and manage patients.
- Evidence and research gaps on COT emphasize the need for future studies to address these areas.
- The use of opioids in certain populations, such as pregnant women, high-risk individuals, the elderly, and children require special consideration and an evaluation of the risks to benefits of COT treatment.
- Decisions to use COT should be made on a case by case basis, considering specifics such as patient age and history, pain severity, risk for abuse/addiction and side effects, and likely effectiveness and alternative treatments for the particular condition.
- The effectiveness of COT varies with the pain condition, and for most conditions, COT is only a part of a multi-modal treatment plan.
- Supportive evidence and its quality varies with medications used in COT.
