Expectations for Opioid Therapy
Your health and safety are important, and your doctor or healthcare provider should:
- Provide the best possible treatment for your condition.
- Work closely with you to set pain management goals and develop a treatment plan that will help you achieve your goals.
- Assess the risks and benefits of prescription opioids with you, and prescribe opioids only when their benefits outweigh their risks.
- Follow-up if your pain is not resolving as quickly as expected.
- Check your state’s prescription drug monitoring program information.
- Conduct urine drug testing during the course of your therapy.
- Provide instructions on how to taper opioids to minimize withdrawal symptoms once treatment is complete, if you have taken them around the clock for more than a few days.
- Page last reviewed: August 30, 2017
- Page last updated: August 30, 2017
- Content source:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
- National Center for Injury Prevention and Control,
- Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention