Revising the CDC Clinical Guideline for Prescribing Opioids

The CDC proposed new clinical practice guidelines for prescribing opioids for pain management. These guidelines are not yet official as the government has opened the docket to obtain comments from the public regarding the proposed guidelines.

While the purpose of the guideline is to serve as a clinical tool for providers, the recommendations are voluntary. The CDC emphasized that they are intended as flexible standards of care and should not replace clinical judgment or individualized, patient-centered care.

The new clinical practice guideline, CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids–United States, 2022, expands on the previous one, CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain–United States, 2016, by including updated, evidence-based recommendations for clinicians.

The original guideline had a nationwide impact. Cindy Steinberg, National Director of Policy and Advocacy for the US Pain Foundation explains the changes and updates made to these proposed recommendations and how the process works.

Now that the recommendations are open on the Federal Register, public comments can be submitted for 60 days through April 11, 2022. After the comments are reviewed by the agency, a finalized version can be expected by the end of 2022.