AAN Position: Opioids

Abstract

This position statement serves to establish the American Academy of Neurology (AAN)'s stance on neurology care team's needs for safe prescribing of opioids and research for nonopioid pain alternatives so that the AAN can continue to advocate effectively for its members. While considerable improvements have been made in prescribing practices to address patient pain, opioids remain the most misused prescription medication in the United States. Neurology care teams often care for patients with chronic, complex conditions that include pain disorders such as migraine, peripheral neuropathy, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and low back pain and are the 14th most frequent group to prescribe opioids. The AAN is dedicated to upstream approaches to prevent opioid misuse through research aimed at finding alternative therapies for chronic pain, reducing opioid addiction and misuse, and using tools such as electronic prescribing of controlled substances and state prescription monitoring programs to improve the safety of opioid prescribing when opioid treatment is necessary.