from the Choosing Wisely Campaign (ChoosingWisely.org)

American Society of Anesthesiologists-Pain Medicine:

• Don’t prescribe opioid analgesics as first-line therapy to treat chronic non-cancer pain. Physicians should consider multimodal therapy, including non-drug treatments such as behavioral and physical therapies prior to pharmacological intervention. If drug therapy appears indicated, non-opioid medication (e.g., NSAIDs, anticonvulsants, etc.) should be trialed prior to commencing opioids.
• Don’t prescribe opioid analgesics as long-term therapy to treat chronic non-cancer pain until the risks are considered and discussed with the patient. Patients should be informed of the risks of such treatment, including the potential for addiction. Physicians and patients should review and sign a written agreement that identifies the responsibilities of each party (e.g., urine drug testing) and the consequences of non-compliance with the agreement. Physicians should be cautious in co-prescribing opioids and benzodiazepines. Physicians should proactively evaluate and treat, if indicated, the nearly universal side effects of constipation and low testosterone or estrogen.

American Academy of Neurology

• Don’t use opioids or butalbital for migraine except as a last resort. Opioid and butalbital treatment for migraine should be avoided because more effective, migraine-specific treatments are available. Frequent use of opioids and butalbital can worsen headaches. Opioids should be reserved for those with medical conditions precluding use of migraine-specific treatments or for those who fail these treatments.

American Headache Society

• Don’t prescribe opioid or butalbital-containing medications as first-line treatment for recurrent headache disorders. These medications impair alertness and may produce dependence or addiction syndromes, an undesirable risk for the young, otherwise healthy people most likely to have recurrent headaches. They increase the risk that episodic headache disorders such as migraine will become chronic, and may produce heightened sensitivity to pain. Use may be appropriate when other treatments fail or are contraindicated. Such patients should be monitored for the development of chronic headache.

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

• Don’t prescribe opioids for treatment of chronic or acute pain for workers who perform safety-sensitive jobs such as operating motor vehicles, forklifts, cranes, or other heavy equipment. The use of both strong and weak opioids has been consistently associated with increased risk of motor vehicle crashes as opioids produce sedation and hinder or impair higher cognitive function. Evidence suggests higher risk with acute opioid use, but risk remains elevated throughout treatment with any opioid and reverses on cessation. Workers who operate motor vehicles/heavy equipment should be precluded from performing these or other safety-sensitive job functions while under treatment with opioids.