Prevention of Opioid Misuse and Opioid-related Harms

The Task Force initiated scoping for a potential guideline on effectiveness of screening, monitoring, and other patient-focused interventions to prevent opioid misuse and opioid-related harms. Based on identified gaps in guidance, the Task Force focused on short course opioid use in opioid-naïve individuals. Scoping the literature revealed minimal evidence and absence of validated screening or other preventive tools for this target population. The Task Force also identified a lack of clear, accepted definitions of “opioid naïve” and “short course” prescriptions. Given these critical gaps, the Task Force could not proceed with developing a guideline on prevention of opioid harms for short course opioid use in opioid-naïve individuals. Concurrently and independently, the United States Preventive Services Task Force also looked to develop a similar guideline and could not proceed owing to related concerns and issues.