Acute Pain Management – Meeting the Challenges

This guide to managing acute pain was created by the Veterans Administration to help their clinicians reduce opioid prescriptions while also treating their patient’s pain. The guide presents a step-wise approach to pain management: step 1 prioritzes non-pharmacological treatments, step 2 consists of non-pharmacological approaches and non-opioid pharmacotherapy second, and step 3 adds short term use of short-acting opioids as option. The guide includes information about non-pharmacological treatments and non-opioid pharmacological treatments for acute pain and, if opiate therapy is considered, how to evaluate patients for appropriateness and how to educate patients if opioids are prescribed. Additional information is included about treating acute pain in patients with opioid use disorder.

Funding Source:  Pharmacy Benefits Management Academic Detailing Service, Veterans Health Administration