Increases in prescriptions of opioid medications for chronic pain have been accompanied by increases in opioid overdoses, abuse, and other harms and uncertainty about longterm effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate evidence on the effectiveness and harms of long-term (>3 months) opioid therapy for chronic pain in adults. Evidence is insufficient to determine the effectiveness of long-term opioid therapy for improving chronic pain and function. Evidence supports a dose-dependent risk for serious harms.
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