Division Expands Rules Covering Opioids

New medical treatment guidelines for chronic pain and complex regional pain syndrome published by the Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation for the first time include a threshold above which physicians should closely monitor opioid prescriptions and a dosage that should not be exceeded.Two treatment guidelines, one for complex regional pain syndrome/reflex sympathetic dystrophy and the other for chronic pain disorder, recommend providers screen injured workers for a history of substance abuse problems and obtain a consultation from a pain specialist before starting treatment with opio...