ORLANDO – Take a consistent approach with all patients on opioid therapy, regardless of a patient’s perceived potential for abuse, Dr. Melissa B. Weimer advised.
“This is an area of medicine where I feel we need to apply universal precautions to all patients,” noted Dr. Weimer, assistant professor of medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland. “We’re treating all patients as at some level of potential harm from this medication.”
In an interview at a meeting held by the American Pain Society and Global Academy for Medical Education, Dr. Weimer outlined a strategy that employs the same protocol to monitor therapy, even when the abuse potential is considered to be low.
Global Academy and this news organization are owned by the same company. Dr. Weimer reported no financial disclosures.