Data indicate that recent efforts to combat the opioid epidemic by reducing narcotics administered to patients leads to higher levels of pain in Veterans Affairs patients with cancer.
“Our study reveals that while opioid safety measures are crucial, they may inadvertently hinder pain management in VA cancer patients, leading to increased reports of severe pain,” study author Sesh Mudumbai, MD, MS, an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain