Discussion Post: Chronic Health Care
Nurse Practitioners are faced with a duty to reduce suffering and improve quality of life for patients who live with chronic pain. Historically in the U.S., pharmacological treatment with opioids has been a mainstay of chronic pain management. Access to non-pharmacological therapies has been limited due to lack of health care resources and insurance coverage (Dasgupta, Beletsky, & Ciccarone, 2018). Despite the decrease in opioid prescribing, the rate of opioid overdose in the U.S. continues to climb and increased by 38% from 2012 to 2015 (CDC, 2017). The President has declared the opioid crisis a national Public Health Emergency under federal law.
• As an FNP, Discuss your position on managing chronic pain in light of the opioid crisis and federal and state regulations to reduce opioid overuse.
• Identify the prescriptive authority granted by the state of Northern Virginia where intend to seek licensure, in regard to controlled substances.
The response should include a reference list. One-inch margins, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.