OPEN Cited in new CDC Prescribing Guidelines
In the CDC’s November 4th publication of the 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain, OPEN was cited throughout the article. The CDC referenced OPEN’s recommendations for the number of opioid pills to consider prescribing for patients undergoing surgical procedures, the use of non-opioid medications for acute pain, and prescribing recommendations after dental surgeries.
Before releasing the guidelines in early November, the CDC spent time researching and developing new guidelines to replace the 2016 recommendations. A group of experts from around the country developed the guidelines and underwent an in-depth process to make sure that there was no conflict of interest from any party. In early 2022, CDC released the guidelines to receive both stakeholder and public comments.
Team members at OPEN were excited to see that our prescribing guidelines were included in the initial draft. “Something that immediately stood out in the first drafts…OPEN was cited as a resource for people looking for opioid prescribing guidelines,” said Zahra Dawson, a Program Coordinator for OPEN. “One of the first things we wanted to do with this opportunity was to acknowledge that OPEN’s evidence is being recognized at this level… and then share even more resources with the community.”
Dr. Mark Bicket, MD, PHD, a co-director of OPEN, was thrilled about the opportunity to share OPEN’s mission. “The goal is to help adjust care and tailor it towards what a patient actually needs. We want to help them, as well as their clinicians, relieve pain in a safe way.” Seeing OPEN’s work recognized at a national level is not only an exciting opportunity, but a chance to reach more communities and help more people in need of these resources. “We want to make sure the evidence gets into the hands of the people who need it.”
After the guidelines were published in November 2022, it left team members at OPEN looking forward to the future. Dawson remembers feeling an overarching sense that this work would help prevent potential excess prescribing, and how that feeling has impacted OPEN going forward. “This was an opportunity for us to recognize and appreciate OPEN’s involvement and make use of OPEN’s expertise and provide information.”
OPEN developed the first evidence-based opioid prescribing and counseling recommendations in the U.S. for 44 common procedures. Our recommendations are informed by patient-reported outcomes (PROs) on opioid consumption, pain control and patient satisfaction, and published studies and expert opinion. OPEN is dedicated to continuously improving prescribing using the most current data and evidence available, and our prescribing recommendations are updated regularly.
Read the full CDC Clinical Practice Guideline publication here.