Addressing Prescription Opioid Misuse

Improving communication between providers, increasing use of alternative pain control mechanisms, and creating evidence-based prescribing guidelines will reduce the unintended distribution of prescription opioids.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
After reading this course, the participant should be able to:

1. Explain the risks of opioid prescribing, and the reasons opioid misuse is considered a public health emergency.
2. List dental procedures that commonly result in opioid prescriptions, and alternative strategies for pain management.
3. Describe at-risk groups and behaviors associated with opioid abuse and addiction.

This course was published in the June 2018 issue and expires June 2021. The authors have no commercial conflicts of interest to disclose. This 2 credit hour self-study activity is electronically mediated.