Key Points
Paediatricians must prescribe opioids for pain to children when necessary, with recommended precautions to increase safety, according to a new clinical practice guideline released by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday.. The first clinical practice guideline for opioid prescriptions in kids also includes explicit instructions on how and when to prescribe these medications for pain while reducing the long-term risk of addiction...
The guideline, published in the journal Pediatrics online, called on Paediatricians always to start non-opioid medications and treatment, for a patient with mild to moderate pain..
It also marked a shift in clinical practice by recommending a routine prescription for naloxonea medication used to reverse overdosesalongside every opioid prescription...
The AAP clinical practice guideline recommends that opioids must be prescribed in conjunction with other non-pharmacological approaches, such as physical therapy, to reduce pain and improve function...
The guideline also calls for giving patients and caregivers educational materials on pain control therapies, opioids, and safe storage and disposal of medications..
