New England Journal of Medicine Offers Perspective on CDC Guidelines

The New England Journal of Medicine has offered their perspective on the CDC’s recent release of their Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain. They note that after the CDC’s 2016 Recommendation Guidelines were released, there was room for misinterpretation that led to new laws and regulations being inconsistent with the Recommendations at times. In contrast, the updated 2022 Guidelines more thoroughly reinforced “the importance of flexible, individualized, patient-centered care... while clarifying and reducing the risks associated with opioid use”.