Principles of Prescribing During Long-Term Opioid Therapy
The safe and effective use of opioid drugs requires the knowledge and skills
necessary to administer an opioid in a manner that will optimize effects
and minimize risk. The principles of prescribing have been refined over
decades in populations with acute pain and cancer pain.
They include the following:
- Drug selection
- Route selection
- Individualization of the dose
- Other dosing guidelines
- Side-effect management
- Monitoring outcomes
These principles can be extrapolated to any population.
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