Ohio unveils new guidelines for prescribing pain medication

Gov. John Kasich on Monday introduced new guidelines for prescribers of high-powered opioid pain medication for patients with chronic, non-terminal pain in an attempt to reverse a crisis of opioid abuse and overdose in the state. (Source: “Ohio introduces opioid prescribing guidelines,” Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 7, 2013)

The new guidelines recommend that 80 milligrams Morphine Equivalent Daily Dose (MED) should trigger the prescriber to “press pause” and reevaluate the effectiveness and safety of the patient’s pain management plan, several state health officials said Monday in a conference call.

“Drug overdoses have reached epidemic proportions over the past decade, and too many Ohio families have felt th  e pain caused by the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs,” Kasich said in a press release. “We have a serious problem and we can’t just sit back and hope things change without action.