Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic: Balancing Societal and Individual Benefits and Risks of Prescription Opioid Use.

Bonnie RJ, Ford MA, Pillips JK, eds. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2017.

Addressing the opioid epidemic will require a complex set of approaches to balance managing the potential for harms associated with opioid prescribing with ensuring effective pain management. This report from a consensus project explores the overarching issues associated with the opioid epidemic and outlines recommendations to improve opioid safety, including a heightened focus on public health solutions and enhanced patient management. A recent PSNet perspective discussed opioid overdose as a patient safety problem.

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