Opioid Therapy & Tapering: Guidance for Clinicians to Improve Outcomes

This course will review the scientific evidence for/against opioid therapy, risk mitigation, and different methods of opioid tapering. Providers need guidance to determine which patients may or may not benefit from opioids.

While most pain patients on opioid therapy manage opioids safely, the risks are detrimental to some patients and society. Clinicians are faced with contradictory professional advice and legal mandates/scrutiny. Many patients are exposed to risk due to inappropriately executed opioid tapering. Suicide rates are rising, and illicit drug use including overdose deaths from synthetic opioids continue to rise. How do we maximize benefit over harm? This session will review the scientific evidence and legal requirements that contribute to optimized opioid therapy when clinically indicated and how to discontinue opioid therapy if appropriate.