On January 19, the Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team (GCOAT) released its latest set of opioid prescribing guidelines addressing the management of acute pain. These new prescribing guidelines are for management of acute pain outside emergency departments (EDs) for the management of acute pain expected to resolve within 12 weeks.
These new guidelines are the third set of guidelines developed to date. The GCOAT developed opioid prescribing guidelines for EDs in 2012 and for management of chronic pain in 2013. Please visit Ohio’s Opioid Prescribing webpage for copies of all three opioid prescribing guidelines and prescriber tools and resources, including a letter to give to patients that explains a safer approach to treating their acute pain. Also visit the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians new opioid prescribing guidelines page for additional resources and a the .
Like the previous prescribing guidelines, these new guidelines are intended to supplement—not replace—clinical judgment. In this brief video clip, a young patient shares his story of life on opioids: from legitimate use during recovery from a sports injury, to abuse and addiction.
With the support of physicians and other prescribers, Ohio has made some promising progress in key areas in its fight against prescription opioid abuse. In recent years, both the number of opioid doses dispensed to Ohio patients and the number of “doctor shoppers” have decreased, according to data from the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System.
Even with the progress made, prescription opioids remain a significant contributor to unintentional drug overdose deaths in Ohio, and the number of overdose deaths increased year-to-year from 2012 through 2014. In this brief video clip?, Governor John R. Kasich asks for continued support in fighting prescription opioid abuse.
These new prescribing guidelines for the outpatient management of acute pain have been endorsed by numerous organizations including but not limited to the Ohio State Medical Association, the Ohio Osteopathic Association, the OAFP, the Ohio Physical Therapy Association, the Ohio Hospital Association, the Ohio Public Health Association, the State Medical Board of Ohio, the Ohio State Dental Board, the Ohio Board of Nursing, and the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
The OAFP participated in more than 20 hours of meetings devoted to the development of these guidelines. Executive Vice President Ann Spicer attended the press conference where the guidelines were presented to the press and public.