NCMB voted at its January Board Meeting to replace its existing position statement on the use of opiates to treat pain with the
CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.
The Board was motivated by a desire to offer licensees who prescribe opioids a comprehensive and current resource to assist them in providing appropriate care to their patients with pain. NCMB’s
Policy for the Use of Opiates for the Treatment of Pain was adopted in 2014, while CDC’s opioid guidance was released in March 2016.
Click here to read the Board’s formal comments, which note that the recommendations contained in the CDC policy may not meet the needs of all patients. The Board encourages licensees who prescribe opioids to familiarize themselves with the CDC policy and use it to guide - but not dictate - their treatment decisions.
NCMB’s primary goal relative to opioid prescribing is to prevent inappropriate prescribing, not to disrupt the treatment of patients with a legitimate need for pain management. It is up to each clinician providing patient care to develop treatment plans that are both clinically appropriate and in the best interest of their patients.
