The misapplication of the CDC guideline on opioid prescribing for chronic pain has caused confusion, suffering, and harm to patients. Fundamentally, policies and practices that support tapering to specified doses or involuntary opioid tapering runs counter to guidance from the CDC, FDA, the U.S. Surgeon General, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pain Medicine.
The state of Oregon has continued to push forward proposed policy that misapplies the CDC guideline and has NO EVIDENCE BASE. For this reason, colleagues and I submitted numerous correspondences to the Oregon Task Force (HERC) that is proposing this policy be imposed on hundreds of thousands of Medicaid recipients.
Once more, I write to HERC to underscore the national opposition to this terrible pain care plan.
Please see my formal request for Oregon to cease and desist opioid tapering place that both lack evidence and place patients at risk.