Health care providers in California must learn how to care for the two groups of patients at highest risk of harm: those dependent on high-dose opioids for pain or concurrently on benzodiazepines, and those with substance use disorder (SUD).

While efforts are in place to lower overprescribing, providers still need to safely and compassionately care for the patients with chronic pain (especially those patients taking high-dose opioids and/or concurrent sedatives and wanting safe tapers to lower doses), and those with addiction who need access to effective medications and behavioral treatment.

Provider organizations are under substantial pressure to lower overprescribing, safely treat patients with chronic pain on high-risk regimens, integrate medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and addiction services, and co-prescribe naloxone to stop overdose deaths.

The California Quality Collaborative created Accelerating Opioid Safety: Ambulatory Care Toolkit (PDF) to guide providers and ambulatory care systems in launching or expanding opioid safety initiatives.

It was produced with support from the California Health Care Foundation.