State Guidelines Focus on Preventing Chronic Opioid Use, not just safe Prescribing

The state of Washington has sent a message: The workers’ compensation industry shouldn’t just try to prescribe opioids in a safer way; it should also prevent patients from starting on opioids inappropriately in the first place. The Washington State Agency Medical Directors' Group unveiled its first revision to its opioid prescribing guidelines at a conference on June 12. The guidelines are used by all the state's health care programs including workers' compensation. “The focus should ... be on preventing the inappropriate transition from acute and subacute opioi...