Responsible Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain: Interpreting the CDC Guideline, Understanding New Rhode Island Regulations.

New Rhode Island regulations require physicians and other licensed practitioners to make significant adjustments to comply with new requirements for prescribing narcotics for chronic pain. Responding to the opioid epidemic, the new rules are intended to improve patient safety by changing physicians' prescribing patterns. However, the new rules may overlook the importance of treatment-access problems and the importance of buprenorphine products for treating pain and opioid dependence. Empirical data have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of buprenorphine in treating opioid-dependent patients with chronic pain, including those with and without substance abuse histories, but access to buprenorphine treatment remains limited throughout the state. The new regulations call upon physicians to make use of consultation services, which are also of limited availability. Although well intentioned, the new rules may contribute to treatment-access problems, and patients with chronic pain may resort to higher-risk "street" drugs when they are unable to access safe but effective medical treatment. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-10.asp].