Optimizing Pain Management Through Opioid Deprescribing.

ABSTRACT

The use of opioid drug therapy in older adults has increased over the past decade. Although use of opioid drugs may be clinically warranted, ongoing use needs to be monitored closely to evaluate risks and benefits, especially with the potential for adverse events and misuse. An opioid drug deprescribing protocol would provide clinicians with a method to assess an individual's need for opioid agents, as well as a systematic process to taper opioid drug therapy when deemed appropriate. Although more than 60 studies have reported methods for deprescribing, there is currently no established guideline for discontinuing opioid medications. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has developed an algorithm to assist clinicians with opioid drug discontinuation decision making. As efforts to discontinue opioid drugs for chronic non-cancer pain in older adults continue to expand, nurses, as an integral part of the inter-professional team, will play a key role in monitoring and assessing patients' pain and care plans. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(1), 9-14.].