Module 5: Monitoring and Evaluation

Lesson 1

Treatment evaluation

The efficacy of pharmacotherapy with CDS must always evaluated with considerations to the impact on function, the presence of adverse effects, the presence of patient safety concerns, and patient perspectives.  It imperative that the appropriate guideline be consulted for reference and support in treatment evaluation.  In addition, the assessment tools provided in module 3 of this resource may be used to determine treatment evaluation.

For patients receiving opioids for example, the Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain recommends that these agents be tapered and discontinued if the patient’s pain remains unresponsive after a trial of several different opioids (NOUGG, 2017). Patients on high opioid doses who remain incapacitated by pain should be considered to have experienced ineffective treatment, even if the opioid “takes the edge off” the pain.