Opioids: Strategies for Safe Use

Course #24-684 - $15-


Study Points

  1. Identify ways to collaborate with the healthcare team to help promote patient safety.
  2. Discuss safe strategies for starting and stopping an opioid.
  3. Identify risky medication combinations involving opioids.
  4. Review the role of opioid overdose reversal agents.
  5. Summarize important patient counseling tips for patients who are taking opioids.

    1 . What should be done when starting an opioid for acute noncancer pain?
    A) Define improvement in terms of functional goals.
    B) Identify complete pain relief as the main objective.
    C) Consider both short-acting and long-acting opioid options.
    D) Start with a 30-day supply and follow up with the patient monthly.

    WEBINAR

    Learners should engage with the webinar, below, and the provided resources to explore the topics covered in this course.

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    2 . Which strategy is recommended to safely taper an opioid that a patient has been taking for several years?
    A) Discontinue the opioid over one week.
    B) Discontinue the opioid over two weeks.
    C) Decrease the dose by about 10% per month.
    D) Decrease the dose by about 25% per month.

    WEBINAR

    Learners should engage with the webinar, below, and the provided resources to explore the topics covered in this course.

    Click to Review



    3 . What should be done when switching between opioids?
    A) Add a sustained-release opioid as needed for severe breakthrough pain.
    B) Assess patient-specific factors and use an opioid conversion chart as a guide.
    C) Calculate the total daily dose of only the scheduled long-acting opioid.
    D) Use an equianalgesic table to find a comparable dose with no reduction in dose when converting.

    WEBINAR

    Learners should engage with the webinar, below, and the provided resources to explore the topics covered in this course.

    Click to Review



    4 . Which opioid has the most serotonergic activity?
    A) Hydrocodone
    B) Hydromorphone
    C) Meperidine
    D) Morphine

    WEBINAR

    Learners should engage with the webinar, below, and the provided resources to explore the topics covered in this course.

    Click to Review



    5 . Which cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are most involved in opioid metabolism leading to drug-drug interactions?
    A) CYP1A2, CYP2D6
    B) CYP1A2, CYP2C8
    C) CYP2C8, CYP3A4
    D) CYP2D6, CYP3A4

    WEBINAR

    Learners should engage with the webinar, below, and the provided resources to explore the topics covered in this course.

    Click to Review



    6 . Which characteristics would put a patient at the highest risk of respiratory depression due to an opioid?
    A) Untreated sleep apnea with liver disease
    B) Uncontrolled hypertension with type 2 diabetes
    C) Former cigarette smoker with chronic migraines
    D) Overweight with a history of peptic ulcer disease

    WEBINAR

    Learners should engage with the webinar, below, and the provided resources to explore the topics covered in this course.

    Click to Review



    7 . What information should you share with a colleague about opioid overdose reversal agents?
    A) Nalmefene is available as an Rx and OTC.
    B) Nalmefene is the most effective opioid overdose reversal agent.
    C) Naloxone nasal spray has a faster onset than nalmefene nasal spray.
    D) Naloxone nasal spray has a shorter duration than nalmefene nasal spray.

    WEBINAR

    Learners should engage with the webinar, below, and the provided resources to explore the topics covered in this course.

    Click to Review



    8 . What should you tell patients is the best way to dispose of opioids?
    A) Flush them down the toilet.
    B) Put them in the trash in a sealed plastic bag.
    C) Drop them off at a drug take back site, location, or program immediately.
    D) Throw them away in their original container with your name blacked out on the label.

    WEBINAR

    Learners should engage with the webinar, below, and the provided resources to explore the topics covered in this course.

    Click to Review