Safe Prescription of Opioids in Primary Care

Opioid analgesics are commonly prescribed addictive narcotics intended for the treatment of pain. Inappropriate prescription of opioids in quantities and for conditions which lack clinical evidence contributes to the risk of misuse and addiction. The majority of opioid prescriptions are written by physicians (general practitioners) in primary health care (PHC). PHC is thus an important setting for efforts to encourage the safe and appropriate prescription of opioids. Increasing knowledge of pain treatment recommendations, risks of opioids, and guidelines for the prescription of opioids may decrease inappropriate prescription, and thereby risk of tolerance, dependence, and addiction.