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All of the following actions can help mitigate opioid-related adverse effects, EXCEPT?

A) Changing to an extended-release (ER) formulation
B) Giving smaller doses more frequently
C) Giving larger doses less frequently
D) Rotating to another opioid

User XCarb
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1 Answer

1 vote

Final answer:

Rotating to another opioid does not help mitigate opioid-related adverse effects. Efforts to reduce these adverse effects include improving treatment access, recovery services, and availability of overdose-reversal drugs. Strategies to address the opioid crisis involve educational and supportive measures rather than opioid rotation.

Step-by-step explanation:

To address the question, rotating to another opioid is not an action that can mitigate opioid-related adverse effects. Opioid rotation may sometimes be used to manage tolerance, but it does not necessarily reduce the harmful medical consequences associated with opioids. Adverse effects can occur even when opioids are taken as directed and may include risks of addiction, abuse, and overdose, along with side effects such as constipation, nausea, dizziness, and respiratory depression. In the context of opioid crisis management, public health professionals have focused on policies that include increasing access to treatment, recovery services, and overdose-reversal drugs like Naloxone. Moreover, public health campaigns advocate for the medicalization of the problem rather than criminalization, highlighting the need for supportive measures rather than merely substituting one opioid for another.

It's essential to understand that although opioids such as Fentanyl, Oxycodone, Vicodin, and methadone are effective for pain management and other medical uses, they have high potential for dependence and misuse. To reduce opioid-related adverse effects, strategies other than opioid rotation must be employed. These strategies might include careful prescription practices, educating patients about the risk of addiction and proper drug usage, and enhancing public health monitoring systems to better gauge and address the scope of opioid misuse.

User Shwet
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