Chronic Pain Management, Opioid Tapering Guideline

Abstract

Chronic pain is an ongoing issue facing many Americans and individuals globally. Patients have historically been prescribed opiates and narcotics as a common care plan to help manage the chronic pain that they are experiencing. Recent guideline changes to the CDC’s recommendation on opioid prescribing, has had a monumental impact on chronic pain and chronic care management patients. Many patients in a rural access facility in the United States, are discontinued from their opioid pain medications, with no taper, leading to negative and poor health outcomes not only for the patient, but for the community.