How Nonopioid Pain Protocols Reduce Addiction, Improve Outcomes

The opioid crisis has cost the US billions of dollars and, by some estimates, 1 in 16 patients who receive opioids after surgery goes on to develop an addiction. On top of that, roughly 45,000 people still die from opioid overdose each year.

Yet for years, opioids were treated as the default answer for post-operative and acute pain, despite tried-and-true alternatives like NSAIDs, ketorolac, and acetaminophen proving just as effective for most cases, without the risk of addiction. Compounding the problem is a lesser-known phenomenon called opioid-induced hyperalgesia, in which continued opioid use can actually make patients more sensitive to pain over time.

A growing model for change is the Johns Hopkins Perioperative Pain Program, which treats pre-op, operative, and post-op care as one continuous, multidisciplinary process. Patients are tapered off chronic opioids when needed, tracked for up to 6 months post-surgery, and supported through physical therapy, psychiatric care, and even acupuncture. And it is all tailored to the individual rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

These are the exact issues Duane Jones, BS Pharm, regional pharmacy supervisor and clinical program director at Harps Food Stores, has spent his career confronting, both professionally and personally. With firsthand experience implementing opioid-reduction policies and working within a drug addiction treatment facility, Jones offers a pharmacist's perspective on why evidence-based, patient-centered protocols are essential to correcting course in this week’s episode of the Over the Counter podcast.

To hear Jones break down these therapies, the Johns Hopkins model, and what real change in pain management could look like, listen to the full episode above.

Stay tuned for weekly podcast episodes of Over the Counter powered by Drug Topics. Check out our most recent episode with Sharon Blank, who discussed the growing challenges regarding language barriers in medication management and how a prescription label should require the same regulatory scrutiny as the drugs themselves.