Pearls and pitfalls for prescribing opioids in a climate of increased provider scrutiny.

In August 2016, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, issued a letter to healthcare providers requesting aid in addressing "an urgent health crisis facing America: the opioid epidemic." In this article, we address some of the more poignant challenges that surface in treating patients with opiate addiction. We provide an outline of recommendations from the leading medical organizations to educate primary care providers on how to navigate patients to decreased or discontinued medication loads.