The updated AAPM&R Position Statement on Opioid Prescribing, published in the PM&R Journal in August 2025, reflects the Academy’s continued commitment to addressing evolving public health concerns. Led by Dr. Anthony Chiodo and the Pain Management and Opioid Prescribing Task Force, the revision process began in 2024. After extensive collaboration and consensus-building, the Health Policy, Practice, and Advocacy (HPPA) Committee approved the statement in December 2024, followed by Board of Governors approval in March 2025. The updated statement emphasizes addiction prevention, prioritizes functional improvement over pain relief, supports access to multimodal treatments and reinforces the importance of physician education and patient safety. This revision builds on previous versions from 2014 and 2018, aligning the Academy’s stance with current challenges in opioid prescribing.
Thank you to our Task Force members for their thoughtful discussions and deliberate revisions:
- Anthony E. Chiodo MD, Chair
- Thiru M. Annaswamy MD, MA
- Diane W. Braza MD
- Andrew S. Friedman MD
- J. Jason Miller MD
- Ameet S. Nagpal MD
- Samman Shahpar MD
- Saloni Sharma MD, Lac