Study finds opioid prescribing guidelines may help limit abuse
February 2, 2016
Melissa Weimer, D.O., MCR, assistant professor of medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, and colleagues from OHSU and the state of Oregon recently completed a study to see if safety measures, such as prescribing guidelines, can reduce opioid dependency and abuse.
"The findings of our study show that opioid prescribing guidelines for the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain and provider education can have a positive effect on lowering opioid doses in the primary care setting without negatively impacting pain and quality of life in some patients," Dr. Melissa Weimer, an assistant professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, said in an interview.