The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recently offered comments and recommendations relating to the 2016 draft of Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the AAFP, there are concerns regarding select portions of the proposed guidelines. These include the guideline stating that opioids should be prescribed at low dosages and that caution should be exercised when increasing said doses.
This appears to be based upon the opinions of experts, rather than scientific data.
"Literature review of available research has repeatedly revealed a paucity of research regarding best management options for acute and chronic pain, a lack of good-quality evidence -- pro or con -- regarding the use of opioids for pain and a lack of good-quality evidence for how to implement the use of opioids when a decision is made to prescribe opioids for pain control," AAFP Medical Director Dr. Jennifer Frost said.
Certain CDC guidelines have been seen to fit in with the academy’s view of good practices relating to chronic pain treatment with opioid medication, an AAFP representative said. Among these is the guideline that requires physicians to discuss the process of beginning medication and to provide both the risks and benefits of opioid pain medication.
