Assignment task:
Please ensure that the Reply includes more than 200 words of scholarly articles and that the plagiarism level remains below 20%.
Discussion Post: The Opioid Epidemic and Chronic Pain Management
The problem of opioid drugs in the United States has evolved into a severe epidemic that hurts the well-being of people, their relatives, and society. Thus, the students of advanced nursing practice pharmacology need to determine the stimulant applicability and the issues connected with opioid use in the aspect of chronic pain treatment. It is estimated that millions of Americans experience chronic pain; however, the administration of opioids for chronic pain has brought about the current problem (Olfson et al., 2023). Therefore, the best approach to chronic pain patients should incorporate research-based solutions to ensure that there is minimal compromise of the health of this patient through opioids while, at the same time, providing them with the requisite pain relief that they need.
Risks and Benefits of Opioid Use
Opioids are strong pain relievers, and they, therefore, can be useful in managing the chronic pain of patients. However, recreational use is attached to specific dangers, which are addiction, tolerance, dependence, and overdose possibilities. Dowell (2022) has mentioned that opioids are effective only in acute pain, but for chronic pain, more harm is incurred than benefit. Hence, it is important to take over every patient and look for other options for managing the pain before prescribing opioids.
Evidence-Based Strategies for Safe Opioid Use
To reduce the risk of opioid abuse and deaths, advanced practice nurses should follow evidence-based procedures. According to CDC, the following are some of the measures that can be taken;
Comprehensive Patient Assessment: Assess the pain characteristics, comorbidities, extent of expected opioid use, and specific risks of opioid abuse before initiating therapy with opioids. This consists of psychiatric check-ups, such as checking for substance use disorder and other mental health disorders.
Use of Non-Opioid Therapies: The non-pharmacological and non-opioid therapies, including physical therapy, psychological therapy, and other medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen, should be the first-line interventions for chronic pain.
Lowest Effective Dose: When opioids in any form are required, it is advisable to administer the minimum dose just adequate to alleviate the arising pain and for the shortest possible time only (Olfson et al., 2023). Clinically review the evaluation of a patient's pain and functional status to identify whether opioids should be continued or not.
Patient Education: Provide patients with an understanding of the general dangers associated with opioids that involve the use of these drugs and dependency, overdoses, and the like. Promote proper storage and disposal of opioids to help minimize this problem among other people as much as possible.
Monitoring and Follow-Up: There should be effective prescription and boosting follow-up checks as the patient vessels continue to take opioids regularly (Dowell, 2022). This includes the detection of illicit use of substances through urine tests, the use of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), and regular assessment of the patient's pain and general condition.
Conclusion:
Chronic pain is one of the most pressing issues nowadays, and opioids are one of the most problematic substances that need special attention. It is noble for any APN to find ways of providing patients with relief from pain while at the same time minimizing the risks that are associated with opioid use and abuse. Despite the risks that are associated with opioid consumption, it is necessary to prevent the misuse and consumption of opioids concerning patient-centered approaches that will allow attending to people with chronic pain. Need Assignment Help?
References:
Dowell, D. (2022). CDC clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids for pain-United States, 2022. MMWR. Recommendations and reports, 71.
Olfson, M., Waidmann, T., King, M., Pancini, V., & Schoenbaum, M. (2023). Population-based opioid prescribing and overdose deaths in the USA: an observational study. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 38(2), 390-398.