Opioid Stewardship Flashcards
Where does Canada rank among consumers of opioids?
2nd
-4.8 million Canadians take prescription opioids
-5% of those go on to injection use
What is opioid stewardship?
opioid stewardship may be described as coordinated interventions designed to improve, monitor, and evaluate the use of opioids in order to support and protect human health
What are the 3 pillars of opioid stewardship?
clinical work
education
quality improvement and research
What are the three topics that are covered under the umbrella of opioid stewardship?
mental health
opioid-use disorder
chronic pain
patients rarely fit into one category
What are the different inputs to the pain processing neuromatrix in the brain?
sensory - discriminative
motivational - affective
cognitive - evaluative
motivational and cognitive may have the largest input on how the brain perceives pain and sends that message back down
What is the current model for perspective of pain?
biopsychosocial model
Is polypharmacy rational in pain management?
yes
drugs have different MOAs and work on different parts of the ascending and descending pathways
How should pharmacotherapy be initiated for every patient requiring pain management?
every patient with pain should be initiated and maintained on appropriate scheduled non-opioid analgesics
-topicals, acet, NSAIDs, duloxetine, gabapentin, pregabalin
if opioids are required, lowest effective dose for shortest period of time and ALWAYS maintain non-opioid analgesics
What is the general rule of thumb with opioids in older adults?
use lower doses, slower titrations when increasing doses
What is the goal for pain management in older adults?
consider not only patient comfort and physical function but also strive to prevent injury, improve psychosocial function, prevent deconditioning, maintain homeostasis, and optimize QoL
Differentiate pain management in older adults compared to the general population.
- larger push for non-pharm strategies
- before starting any analgesic, review meds for polypharmacy & discontinue any unnecessary meds
- clearly defined steps for non-opioids
-topical agents first
-acetaminophen 2nd line
-NSAIDs are often last line due to risks
-consider duloxetine first for neuropathic pain, lower back and OA pain - if opioids need to be used, start at half the dose vs general population AND be cautious if/when starting SR formulations
What is a good assessment to do with every patient with pain?
PQRSTU
precipitating/palliative
quality
region/radiation
severity
temporal
U (you = how does it impact daily life?)
What should goals of therapy focus on with pain?
function
-dont focus on numbers or rating scales
What is a very important aspect of pain management?
non-pharm
-CBT, psychotherapy
-exercise, physiotherapy, TENS
-yoga, mindfulness
analgesics only provide modest benefit, 30% reduction in pain at best = non-pharm is so important
When can opioids be considered for pain?
if pain management is not sufficient
-continue non-pharm and non-opioid analgesics
-assess goals of therapy & expectations
What is the role of opioids in chronic pain?
not effective for chronic pain
minimal/weak evidence in nociplastic or neuropathic pain (with some evidence for methadone and buprenorphine)