- Opioid prescribing by emergency providers affects long term opioid dependency of patients
- Opioid prescribing for chronic pain has poor evidence for improved functional outcomes of pain or improvement in pain control over long term.
- Emergency providers should explore non-opioid pain management strategies, particularly for chronic pain, and emphasize the importance of a relationship with one provider for those patients seeking long term opioid pain relief.
- EPs role in chronic pain should be to reassure patient of the non-emergent etiology of pain, provide resources for further diagnostic workup, and introduce patients to effective non-opioid pain management like physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, meditations, nuerofeedback, and other pain management strategies.