Opioid essentials

The risk for harm associated with opioids has been demonstrated in hospitalized patients, but it is difficult to imagine treating severe pain without opioids, which offer therapeutic benefit with enough flexibility to be used in almost any clinical scenario. In skilled hands, opioids represent an indispensable therapeutic tool that is efficacious, flexible, and safe. Recent opinion advocating a more liberal approach to treating pain with opioids should be taken as a call for hospitalists to strengthen their knowledge and practice in opioid therapy, and further develop their expertise in the appropriate use of opioids.