Pain Management with Opioid Therapy – Pharmacist, Nurse, Nurse Practitioner

Opioid therapy is indicated for acute pain and cancer-related pain; however, it is also often used in chronic non-cancer pain management once non-pharmacologic and non-opioid therapies have failed. When opioid therapy is warranted, careful consideration should be given when selecting the most appropriate agent. This issue focuses on similarities and differences among opioid medications, along with common adverse effects, monitoring parameters, and risk mitigation strategies that pharmacists can provide to improve safety.