Description

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Opioid prescribing presents many challenges to all clinicians, including nurse practitioners, who often feel ill-equipped to deal with the myriad of complex issues involved. Fear of regulatory oversight and fear of potential addiction in patients often prevents nurse practitioners from prescribing opioids to those patients who could benefit from them. Although addiction is a legitimate concern for practitioners prescribing opioids, practitioner fear can disproportionally influence patient care in the pain management setting. When faced with treating a patient suffering from a chronic condition, understanding safe prescribing guidelines can provide the practitioner with the accurate information--and confidence--necessary to treat pain patients safely and effectively.

Part of the Oxford American Pocket Notes series, this ultra concise pocket guide provides helpful information for prescribers in an easy-to-tab format. The introduction addresses practitioners' specific considerations while subsequent sections provide information on selecting and screening patients for opioid therapy. Moreover, the volume includes a special section on opioid prescription for patients who have a history of substance abuse. The author provides examples of patient opioid agreements, an algorithm for treating chronic pain with long-term opioids and information on interpretation of urine screening results. Authored by two highly experienced nurse practitioners on the frontlines of patient care, this volume uses the most up-to-date information available in order to function as a clinically focused tool for safe opioid prescribing.

About the Author

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Yvonne D'Arcy, MS, CRNP, CNS Pain Medicine and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, Suburban Hospital-Johns Hopkins, Bethesda, Maryland Patricia Bruckenthal, PhD, RN, ANP, Clinical Associate Professor, Stony Brook University School of Nursing