Prescribing opioids to patients with chronic pain: translation of the Opioid Risk Tool into Italian

The USA are experiencing an “opioid epidemic,” i.e. the widespread misuse of opioids and a consequent increase in deaths related to opioid intake.1 Specifically, between 2001 and 2016, the percentage of all deaths attributable to opioids, both from prescription and of an illicit origin, increased from 0.4% to 1.5%. The increase was highest in the age group between 25 and 34 years. The USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued guidelines on the proper use of opioid drugs.2 The guidelines urge particular attention to the prescription of these drugs in patients at risk of drug abuse, and recommend that clinicians periodically discuss the risks and benefits of this type of therapy with patients.