Opioid use and abuse: a pain clinic perspective.
Prescription opioid abuse has become the biggest drug problem facing the United States, surpassing abuse of cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin combined. For physicians treating patients with chronic pain, deciding whether to prescribe opioids, especially long-term, can be a challenge. This article describes the history of the opioid abuse problem in the United States, new agents that are effective but less prone to abuse, and tools physicians can use to evaluate whether a patient is a candidate for prescription opioids or other options for pain control.
MAPS Medical Pain Clinics, USA.
David
D
Schultz
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota; D018710:Pain Clinics; D059408:Pain Management; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014481:United States
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid