J Am Board Fam Med
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Daily opioid therapy is widely used in the treatment of chronic noncancer pain, yet there is limited empirical evidence on the relationship of opioid dosing and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in primary care settings. ⋯ Use of low- to moderate-dose opioid therapy provides an improvement in HRQoL scores for chronic noncancer pain patients compared to no opioid therapy, while high-dose opioids have a smaller positive effect that is limited to mental health quality of life and patient satisfaction, and that may not justify treatment.