Knowing how to identify chronic pain is one thing. Knowing what to do next is what matters.
So maybe you’ve got a new patient who’s presenting for the first time with chronic pain, or maybe you’re inheriting a patient who’s had chronic pain for twenty years. Regardless, screening regularly and consistently over time is the best way to measure a patient’s progressive pain level. We’ve included our preferred screenings for persistent, non-cancer pain for you, on the right.
Instituting a screening policy is step 1 of 5 in effective chronic pain treatment.
Subsequent steps include:
2. Patient Assessment for preferences
3. Non-opioid Treatment
4. Patient Re-assessment
5. Follow-up Visits
Pain Screening Tools
What do I do now?
Integrate the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) into your workflow
The PDMP has made great strides in the past few years to become a convenient, accessible, single-sign-on, functional part of everyday practice. Read more about how to integrate the PDMP into your practice.
Get familiar with opioid alternatives
We have a brief summary of chronic pain alternatives that is neither academic nor comprehensive, it’s just a place to get started. The important part is that patients have options, because some modalities might work for them while others won’t.
Learn about tapering patients off of long-term opioids
Not all patients in need of tapering are experiencing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), but some are. We have practical advice on prescribing, and we recommend taking a compassionate conversations course.
Co-prescribe Naloxone with every opioid script
Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can and should be prescribed to anyone who uses opiates in any way and/or their family members. Most overdoses are accidental and can be reversed by naloxone. Learn more about Naloxone Prescribing.
Pharmacists: You can prescribe Naloxone to any patient! This became legal in Oregon in 2018.
Know the prescribing guidelines
There are a ton of guidelines out there for prescribing - we only picked the very best. Click here to see the full list of guidelines.
Dentists: we have some for you too!
Refer patients to Pain School
Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties have their very own online Pain School! This is at no cost to the patient (the program is currently grant-funded) and is similar to other programs around the state.
Get in-the-know about local harm reduction efforts
We have an incredible Syringe Exchange here in Deschutes County - some patrons may never set foot in a doctor’s office, but may visit the emergency room. Learn more about the local efforts to reduce infections, visits to the ED, and engage people into treatment.