More than 42,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose in 2016. Meanwhile, millions of other Americans suffer from chronic pain. The situation poses a difficult question for policymakers: How do we meet the needs of pain patients without contributing to the national opioid crisis?
A newly released white paper from the Alliance for Balanced Pain Management offers some suggestions.
Treating pain without opioids has become possible for many patients through novel drugs approved by a regulatory process called 505(b)(2). Now, access to these treatments is in jeopardy.
Victory over pain is the greatest gift an anesthesiologist like me can offer his patients. I discovered that firsthand when I switched from general surgery to anesthesiology 20 years ago.
When doctors like myself have the freedom to prescribe effective, FDA-approved treatments to their patients, everyone wins. But deciding the right type, dose and duration of pain medications can be challenging.