Pain and Chemical Dependency

PCD-03 - The Ethics of Nonconsensual Opioid Tapers/Discontinuations and Appropriate Tapering Strategies

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

11:35 AM – 12:25 PM PST

Location: Nolita 1-3

CE: Contact Hours: 1 | ANCC RX: 0| AANP RX: 0.1 | Mate: 1

Co-Presenter(s)

Timothy J. Atkinson, PharmD

National Program Manager, Pain/Opioid Pharmacy Program Specialist
VHA Pain Management, Opioid Safety, PDMP (PMOP)
Murfreesboro, TN

Slides
Friedhelm Sandbrink, MD

National Executive Director
VHA Pain Management, Opioid Safety, PDMP (PMOP)
Murfreesboro, TN

Reductions in opioid prescribing has been a key component to improving opioid safety with tremendous progress over the past decade. This has not always been carried out in a person-centered compassionate way, however, leading to serious and potentially catastrophic outcomes. This session will discuss how to taper appropriately and engage in shared decision-making with patients and the ethics of nonconsensual or forced opioid tapers/discontinuations and emerging data on harms. This will be an interactive session with specific examples of complicated cases often seen by frontline providers to make the course more applicable for attendees.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the efforts of payors, health systems, and government in rigid implementation of opioid metrics and their impact on patient care
Discuss ethics and implications of nonconsensual opioid tapers/discontinuations
Facilitate discussion of cases of complex tapers