Opioids and long-term pain management: nursing considerations

Evidence suggests that opioids are no longer appropriate for long-term use in chronic non-malignant pain, due to lack of
efficacy and risks to patients such as increasing tolerance and dependency, multiple physical side effects, mental health
issues or even death from accidental overdose. This article considers the evidence on the appropriate use of opioids, and
ways to safely implement and manage their long-term use. The author details best practice for nurses on subjects such as
the use of opioids in the treatment of various types of pain, the principles of opioid stewardship, optimising the effects of
opioids, and the risk of tolerance, dependency and dose escalation