For some people with chronic pain, opioid medication is one part of treatment. Because opioids carry real risks, how they are evaluated, prescribed and monitored matters as much as the medication itself.
This page explains when opioids are considered for chronic pain, the risks every patient should understand, how opioids are prescribed in Arizona, and how to use them safely.
Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than three months. National guidance from the CDC recommends that non-opioid treatments, both medications and other approaches, come first, and that opioids are considered only when the expected benefits for pain and function outweigh the risks for that patient.
Opioids do not treat the underlying cause of pain. When they are used, the goal is a meaningful improvement in daily life at the lowest effective dose, alongside other treatments.
Source: CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain, 2022
Opioids can help some people with chronic pain, and they also carry risks that rise with higher doses and longer use.
Arizona sets specific requirements for prescribing opioids. Under the state's rules for pain management clinics, before an opioid is prescribed a practitioner must:
Source: Arizona Administrative Code R9-10-2006, Pain Management Services
Take opioids only as prescribed, never take extra doses, and avoid alcohol and other sedatives unless your prescriber has approved them. Tell every clinician who treats you, including your dentist and pharmacist, that you take an opioid.
Keep opioids in their original containers, out of sight and reach of children, visitors and pets, ideally in a locked place. Never share your medication, even with someone who has the same kind of pain.
Dispose of unused opioids promptly through a drug take-back location or another method your pharmacist recommends. Your pharmacist can tell you where the nearest take-back location is.
Opioid treatment is reviewed over time. When a change is considered, whether a dose adjustment, a gradual taper or a move toward other treatments, CDC guidance says it should be worked out with the patient, that opioids should not be stopped abruptly, and that higher doses should not be reduced rapidly, unless there are signs of a life-threatening issue such as an impending overdose. Each decision depends on how the medication is working, its risks, and the patient's goals.
Chronic pain care rarely relies on one treatment. These are among the approaches that may be considered alongside or instead of opioids.
Canyon Pain Center is a Phoenix pain management practice providing individualized, multimodal care for chronic and complex pain. Medication management, including care for patients with long-term treatment histories, is one of our specialties, alongside targeted procedures and coordinated care with outside providers.
Many of our patients have lived with chronic pain for years, and some have been treated with opioids for a long time. Our providers have experience caring for these patients. They only prescribe an opioid when it is appropriate, and always with safeguards in place: a full evaluation, a review of Arizona's prescription monitoring program, an assessment of risk, a clear explanation of benefits and risks, and regular follow-up visits to reassess how treatment is working.
As a licensed Arizona pain management clinic, Canyon Pain Center follows the state requirements described above, and our providers talk with every patient about the risks so treatment decisions are made together. Learn more about our pain management and medication management.
