The efforts of the Agency are in four priority areas:
1) Implement more effective person-centered and population-based strategies;
2) Expand naloxone use, distribution, and access, when clinically appropriate;
3) Expand screening, diagnosis, and treatment of opioid use disorders; and
4) Increase the use of evidence-based practices for acute and chronic pain management.
CMS states in the executive summary that these opioid misuse strategies DO NOT include CMS’s vision for the treatment of cancer and hospice patients.
Treatment of patients in these situations requires careful medical supervision based on therapeutic goals, ethical considerations, and the balance of risks and benefits of opioid therapy. It is worth noting that the exclusion is specific to cancer and hospice patients. Patients receiving palliative care are not specifically mentioned in this CMS Opioid Misuse Strategy.
Download for a full copy of the strategy (PDF) on the CMS website.
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