VA/DoD CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE FOR 

OPIOID THERAPY FOR CHRONIC PAIN 

Department of Veterans Affairs

Department of Defense

Pocket Card

QUALIFYING STATEMENTS

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense guidelines are based upon the best 

information available at the time of publication. They are designed to provide information and assist

decision making. They are not intended to define a standard of care and should not be construed as one. 

Neither should they be interpreted as prescribing an exclusive course of management. 

This Clinical Practice Guideline is based on a systematic review of both clinical and epidemiological

evidence. Developed by a panel of multidisciplinary experts, it provides a clear explanation of the logical

relationships between various care options and health outcomes while rating both the quality of the 

evidence and the strength of the recommendation. 

Variations in practice will inevitably and appropriately occur when clinicians take into account the needs of

individual patients, available resources, and limitations unique to an institution or type of practice. Every

healthcare professional making use of these guidelines is responsible for evaluating the appropriateness of

applying them in the setting of any particular clinical situation.

These guidelines are not intended to represent TRICARE policy. Further, inclusion of recommendations for

specific testing and/or therapeutic interventions within these guidelines does not guarantee coverage of

civilian sector care. Additional information on current TRICARE benefits may be found at www.tricare.mil

or by contacting your regional TRICARE Managed Care Support Contractor.

Version 3.0 – 2017
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I. Summary of Recommendations

Recommendations were made using a systematic approach considering multiple domains: the confidence 

in the quality of the evidence, balance of desirable and undesirable outcomes, patient or provider values 

and preferences, and other implications, as appropriate (e.g., resource use, equity, acceptability).

For the treatment of chronic pain

We recommend:

• Alternatives to opioid therapy (OT) such as self-management strategies, other non-pharmacological

treatments, and, when pharmacologic therapies are used, non-opioids over opioids

We recommend against:

• Initiating long-term opioid therapy (LOT) for chronic pain

• LOT, particularly in the following patient populations due to increased risk of adverse events with OT:

untreated substance use disorder (SUD), concurrent benzodiazepine use, less than 30 years of age

If initiating OT for chronic pain

We recommend:

• A short duration (consideration of OT ≥90 days requires re-evaluation and discussion with patient)

• The lowest dose indicated, as there is no safe dose and risk increases with dose

• Informed consent discussion of risks and benefits of OT and alternative therapies upon initiation

• Ongoing risk mitigation, including random urine drug testing (and appropriate confirmatory testing),

checking state prescription drug monitoring programs, monitoring for overdose potential and

suicidality, providing overdose education, prescribing of naloxone rescue and accompanying

education, and suicide risk assessment (and intervening if necessary)

• Evaluation of risks and benefits at least every three months and more frequently as dose increases

• Tapering OT to reduced dose or to discontinuation when risks of LOT outweigh benefits (avoid abrupt

discontinuation unless required for immediate safety concerns; individualize tapering)

• Interdisciplinary care (addressing pain, SUD, and/or mental health problems) for patients presenting

with high risk and/or aberrant behavior

We recommend against:

• Doses >90 mg morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) for treating chronic pain

• Prescribing long-acting opioids for acute pain, as an as-needed medication, or on initiation of LOT

If continuing OT for chronic pain

We recommend: 

• Ongoing risk mitigation, assessment for opioid use disorder (OUD) and suicide, and consideration for

tapering

• For patients with evidence of untreated SUD, close monitoring, SUD treatment, and tapering

• For patients with concurrent use of OT and benzodiazepines, tapering one or both medications

• For patients taking >90 mg MEDD, evaluation for tapering to reduced dose or to discontinuation

• For patients with chronic pain and OUD, medication assisted treatment of OUD

For acute pain

We recommend:

• Alternatives to opioids for mild-to-moderate acute pain

• If opioids are prescribed, immediate-release opioids at lowest effective dose with reassessment no

later than 3-5 days to determine if adjustments or continuation of OT is indicated

We suggest:

• Use of multimodal pain care when opioids are used (should also offer patient education about opioid

risks and alternatives to OT)
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II. Module A: Determination of Appropriateness for Opioid Therapy

Note: Non-pharmacologic and non-opioid pharmacologic therapies are preferred for chronic pain. 
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III. Module B: Treatment with Opioid Therapy
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IV. Module C: Tapering or Discontinuation of Opioid Therapy
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V. Module D: Patients Currently on Opioid Therapy
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VI. Informed Consent Discussion

Given the recognized risks of OT, an optimal approach to care should include a robust signature informed 

consent process that is patient-centered and provides patients with information about known benefits and 

harms of OT and treatment alternatives. In 2014, VA established a requirement for signature informed 

consent, consistent with VA policy for other treatments or procedures with a significant risk of 

complications or morbidity.

The informed consent discussion starts by focusing on the characteristics of the patient, including the 

reason the patient is on LOT, the location of his or her pain, and the goals of his or her treatment with 

opioids. The next part of the discussion focuses on OT itself, including the known risks and side effects of 

OT as well as the potential benefits. Alternatives to OT must also be discussed with the patient prior to 

obtaining informed consent. Both the practitioner and patient (or his or her surrogate) acknowledge that 

the items detailed on the informed consent form were discussed and understood. The patient at this point 

also acknowledges that he or she understands the importance of a variety of risk mitigation strategies 

aimed at minimizing the adverse outcomes of OT for the patient and others. 

For the most current information on informed consent, see: 

• The VA National Center for Ethics in Health Care website: http://www.ethics.va.gov/

• The Opioid Safety Initiative Toolkit: 

https://www.va.gov/PAINMANAGEMENT/Opioid_Safety_Initiative_Toolkit.asp

• The patient information guide titled Taking Opioids Responsibly for Your Safety and the Safety of 

Others: Patient Information Guide on Long-term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain: 

https://www.va.gov/PAINMANAGEMENT/docs/TakingOpioidsResponsibly20121017.pdf 

VII. Additional Resources

• Veterans Administration Pain Management website: https://www.va.gov/painmanagement/

• Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management website: 

http://www.dvcipm.org/ 

• Chronic Pain Information Page from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: 

https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Chronic-Pain-Information-Page