• Risa Denenberg and Carol P Curtiss.
• Risa Denenberg is an NP who provides care to patients with chronic pain at Jamestown Family Health Clinic, Sequim, WA. The author and planners have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. Carol P. Curtiss is a clinical nurse specialist and consultant in pain management and an adjunct clinical instructor at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston. She has been a paid speaker and has produced educational materials for the biotechnology company Genentech. Contact author: Risa Denenberg, risaden@gmail.com. AJN's peer review process has determined this article to be objective and free of commercial bias.
• Am J Nurs. 2016 Jul 1; 116 (7): 26-38.

Abstract: Over the past two decades, the use of opioids to manage chronic pain has increased substantially, primarily in response to the recognized functional, emotional, and financial burden associated with chronic pain. Within this same period, unintentional death related to prescription opioids has been identified as a public health crisis, owing in part to such factors as insufficient professional training and medication overprescription, misuse, and diversion. The authors discuss current best practices for prescribing opioids for chronic pain, emphasizing patient assessment and essential patient teaching points regarding safe medication use, storage, and disposal.

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