Opioid Guidelines Leave Room for Improvement, Commenters Say

By Greg Jones, Western Bureau ChiefOpioid treatment guidelines proposed by the California Division of Workers’ Compensation are a good starting point, but they could be improved with unequivocal language about what providers must do when prescribing these drugs, according to health care providers, insurance company representatives and employers.Several written comments also strongly urge the division to adopt opioid guidelines recently published by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the Work Loss Data Institute, rather than draft its own rules.The DWC pos...