Association of Dose Tapering With Overdose or Mental Health Crisis Among Patients Prescribed Long-term Opioids

[Tom2020]

Extracts from https://scitechdaily.com/reducing-opioids-for-pain-patients-linked-to-higher-rates-of-overdose-and-mental-health-crisis/

 

"researchers examined the potential risks of opioid dose tapering. ... They found a 68% increase in overdose events and a doubling of
mental health crises among tapered as compared to non-tapered patients. The risks of tapering were greater in patients who had faster
dose reductions and higher baseline doses.

... Guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise
clinicians to monitor patients carefully during tapering and provide psychosocial support. They caution about the potential hazards
of rapid dose reduction, including withdrawal, transition to illicit opioids, and psychological distress.

... I fear that most tapering patients aren’t receiving close follow-up and monitoring to make sure they’re coping well on lower
doses.”

 

The original paper is

Association of Dose Tapering With Overdose or Mental Health Crisis Among Patients Prescribed Long-term Opioids
Alicia Agnoli; Guibo Xing; Daniel J. Tancredi; et al

JAMA. 2021;326(5):411-419. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.11013

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2782643