Expectations for Opioid Therapy
Living with chronic pain can very difficult, and effective pain management
is important to getting your life back. In order to ensure your health
and safety, your healthcare provider should:
- Provide the best possible treatment for your condition.
- Work closely with you to set pain management goals and develop a treatment
plan that will help you achieve those goals.
- Discuss the benefits and risks of prescription opioids with you, and prescribe
opioids only when the benefits outweigh the risks.
- Follow-up if your pain is not resolving as quickly as expected.
- Check the Prescription Drug Monitoring state database to look up your history
of using controlled medications.
- Conduct screenings and other diagnostic tests as needed during the course
of your therapy.
- Provide instructions on how to taper opioids to minimize withdrawal symptoms
once treatment is complete, if you have taken them around the clock for
more than a few days.