[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 15525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-06567]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2015-0112]


2016 Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located 
within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the 
availability of the 2016 Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic 
Pain. CDC published the Guideline in the March 18, 2016 edition of 
CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Recommendations and 
Reports. This notice provides the public with official notice of the 
availability of the Guideline.

DATES: CDC published the Guideline on March 18, 2016 in the Morbidity 
and Mortality Weekly Report, Recommendations and Reports.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arlene I. Greenspan, National Center 
for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE., Mailstop F-63, Atlanta, Georgia 
30341. Telephone: (770) 488-4694; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 14, 2015, CDC published a notice 
in the Federal Register announcing the opening of a docket for public 
comment on the draft 2016 Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic 
Pain (81 FR 77351). CDC also had a public comment opportunity during 
the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control's Board of 
Scientific Counselors meeting on January 28, 2016.
    CDC developed the Guideline to provide recommendations about opioid 
prescribing for primary care providers who are treating adult patients 
with chronic pain in outpatient settings, outside of active cancer 
treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care. The Guideline 
summarizes scientific knowledge about the effectiveness and risks of 
long-term opioid therapy and provides recommendations for when to 
initiate or continue opioids for chronic pain; opioid selection, 
dosage, duration, follow-up, and discontinuation; and assessing risk 
and addressing harms of opioid use.
    CDC received more than 4,350 public comments on the draft Guideline 
from professional organizations, industry, academia, and the public. 
All comments were carefully reviewed and considered in the development 
of the final Guideline.
    The ``CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain--
United States, 2016'' has been added to the docket and can also be 
found at www.cdc.gov/MMWR.

    Dated: March 17, 2016.
Sandra Cashman,
Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2016-06567 Filed 3-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P