Ensure informed consent for opioid prescriptions
Recommendation
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Defense (DOD), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) should work with stakeholders to develop model statutes, regulations, and policies to ensure informed patient consent before an opioid is prescribed for chronic pain.[1]
Background/summary
Individuals seeking pain-related medical attention, including in the aftermath of surgery, should be fully informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives to taking opioids. While there has been much work completed to inform prescribers and patients about the risks associated with opioid use, a standard informed consent does not yet exist.[2] The Department of Veterans Affairs has developed a patient guide for the “safe and responsible use of opioids for chronic pain” to help Veterans make informed decisions about their care.[3] Additionally, in 2022 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a “Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain” to improve communication between providers and their patients to reduce risks of suffering from an opioid use disorder, overdose, and death.[4] However, a report by the National Academy of Medicine found that while all states have requirements for counseling patients on opioid use before writing a prescription, there are insufficient policies to address standardized prescription practices.[5]
citations
1. Presidential Commission. The President’s Commission On Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. Last Updated 2017.
2. Ibid.
3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Safe and Responsible Use of Opioids for Chronic Pain: A Patient Information Guide. Last Updated October 2018.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Summary of the 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain. Last Updated November 3, 2022.
5. National Academy of Medicine. Educating Together, Improving Together: Harmonizing Interprofessional Approaches to Address the Opioid Epidemic. Last Updated 2021.