2/25/2022
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a proposal for new and updated guidelines for prescribing opioid painkillers that soften some of the agency’s previous recommendations, giving stronger consideration to those who live with chronic pain.
While still encouraging “nonopioid therapies” whenever possible, the new guidelines would remove arbitrary caps on medication dosages for chronic pain patients and loosen other prescribing recommendations to allow doctors more flexibility to use their best judgment.1
Once approved, the new draft guidelines will replace the CDC’s 2016 guidelines for prescribing opioids – whose stricter limits led to a host of healthcare issues for chronic pain patients, including forced tapering of opioid medications, denial of care at some medical practices, and physical and psychological side effects such as reduced quality of life.4
Whereas the 2016 guidelines led to strict and sweeping policies that discouraged clinicians from prescribing opioids, the new guidelines assert more support for individualized care. “This voluntary clinical practice guideline provides recommendations and does not require mandatory compliance,” the authors wrote. “The clinical practice guideline is intended to be flexible so as to support, not supplant, clinical judgment and individualized, patient-centered decision-making.”3
Along with removing opioid dosage limits, the updated guidelines would remove restrictions on the duration of treatment for patients suffering from acute pain. The new guidelines also acknowledge the harm of abruptly discontinuing, or rapidly tapering, medications.
The guidelines stress that nonopioid medications and alternative pain management techniques, including physical therapy, acupuncture, and massage, should be used whenever they are appropriate. And doctors are still encouraged to start opioid treatment with the lowest effective dose, and to prescribe immediate-release rather than long-acting forms of medications.
Patient advocacy groups have long pushed for a rewrite of the 2016 guidelines that would help those with chronic pain continue to access necessary care. The new guidelines take a gentler approach while still urging caution and risk awareness as opioid overdoses surge nationally.
The CDC is currently accepting public comments on the draft guideline update. SAA encourages you to share your experiences and add your voice to the federal register here. Written public comments must be received on or before April 11, 2022.3
The CDC anticipates releasing the updated guidelines in late 2022.2
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