Addiction issues in prescribing opioids for chronic nonmalignant pain.

This article provides an overview of central issues in chronic nonmalignant pain management with a focus on prescribing opioid analgesics. Definitions are provided for terminology regarding pain and addiction. Epidemiology of addiction among patients with chronic nonmalignant pain is reviewed. Benefits and complications of opioid therapy are discussed, along with recent regulatory issues for prescribers and use of medication agreements. Nonopioid treatments are reviewed. A standardized approach to chronic nonmalignant pain reduces stigma and improves patient care, therefore, an algorithm is presented for management of chronic nonmalignant pain.