Question

A 55-year-old woman with chronic non-cancer low back pain requests long-acting opioids for pain control. She has tried physiotherapy and NSAIDs but not other non-opioid pharmacologic options. According to the 2017 Canadian Opioid Prescribing Guideline, which approach is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Offer a trial of opioids only after optimising non-opioid pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies

Answer

Initiate high-dose long-acting opioid therapy immediately

Answer

Prescribe benzodiazepines and opioids together for better analgesia

Answer

Encourage long-term opioids without follow-up if pain improves

Answer

Avoid all non-opioid options and use opioids as sole therapy

Practice question

A 55-year-old woman with chronic non-cancer low back pain requests long-acting opioids for pain control. She has tried physiotherapy and NSAIDs but not other non-opioid pharmacologic options. According to the 2017 Canadian Opioid Prescribing Guideline, which approach is most appropriate?