Medicine Grand Rounds: Opioid Failure and Solutions for Physicians

Speaker for this CME Activity:  Bill Morris, MD

Given that chronic opioid therapy may benefit some patients with chronic pain, but that the risks of chronic opioid therapy appears to outweigh the benefits in a large proportion of patients a crucial clinical skill is the ability to safely utilize chronic opioid therapy for the group patients in chronic pain in which opioids remain effective while at the same time recognize and manage those patients for whom chronic opioid therapy has failed.

 This presentation will review a proposed clinical definition of “opioid failure” developed by the SafeRx Santa Cruz Opioid Safety Coalition. Options for opioid failure management, including weaning strategies and transition to buprenorphine will be discussed.

Desired Outcomes:

• Recognize the different reasons that indicate prescription opioids have failed patient.
• Identify the various strategies of management options.

CME Activity Flyer (PDF)