Module 3: Assessment

Lesson 1

Chronic Pain: Need for Opioid Therapy

The Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain (NOUGG, 2017) provides recommendations for deciding to initiate opioid therapy

Recommendations include conducting a comprehensive assessment, addiction-risk screening, and urine drug screening.

A summary of peer-reviewed evidence supporting the recommendations is also available from the Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain, Cluster 1: Deciding to Initiate Opioid Therapy.