50th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting

Publications about The US Regulations and Laws Governing Pain Management and Opioid Use in the Anesthesiology and Pain Journals

Amira Elmansoury B.S., Eman Nada M.D., Ph.D.,

University of Massachusetts - School of Public Health, Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University

BACKGROUND

●The U.S. opioid epidemic has claimed over 500,000 lives. This crisis led to significant changes in pain management laws and regulations.

●Anesthesiologists regularly manage pain and rely on professional journals for updates. Despite their key role, there's limited coverage of opioid policies in anesthesiology and pain journals.

●This study reviews how often such topics appear in these journals over the past 15 years.

METHODS

●Search period: January 1, 2010 – January 1, 2025

●Database: PubMed

●Search terms:

○Opioid Stewardship

○Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)

○Pain management and opioid policies and regulation

●Inclusion criteria:

○Articles published in Anesthesiology and Pain journals

○U.S.-based regulatory and policy-focused studies

RESULTS:

●Data analyzed: Number of relevant articles published in Anesthesiology and Pain journals per keyword category

●Please see Table one

●Key takeaway: Very few policy-focused articles appear in anesthesiology and pain journals compared to the overall literature.

DISCUSSION

●Anesthesiologists play a critical role in pain management but are not widely exposed to evolving opioid policies through their specialty journals.

●Regulatory changes—such as CDC guidelines, PDMPs, and legislation like the NOPAIN Act—are underrepresented in the literature they rely on.

●This lack of policy content creates a knowledge gap that may impact clinical practice and patient safety.

●Standardizing and increasing policy education in anesthesiology publications is essential for bridging this gap.

Greater journal coverage of opioid laws can help ensure providers stay informed, compliant, and aligned with best practices

REFERENCES:

Food and Drug Administration. Letter to application holders: ER/LA opioid analgesic class labeling changes and postmarket requirements. Silver Spring, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, (2014) .

B leicher J et al. . Postoperative opioid prescribing, use and pain trends following general surgery procedures: a retrospective cohort study among veterans comparing non-opioid versus chronic opioid users. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2022 May 6:rapm-2021-103382

There’s a limited number of articles in Anesthesiology & Pain journals about opioid laws and pain management policies—despite major legal changes and the ongoing opioid crisis

Keywords	All Articles (n)	Anesthesia & Pain Journals (n)	Percentage
Opioid Stewardship	97	5	5.2%
The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)	187	10	5.3%
Pain Management and Opioid Policies and Regulations	80	12	15%

15%

50th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting

PUBLICATIONS ABOUT THE US REGULATIONS AND LAWS GOVERNING PAIN MANAGEMENT AND OPIOID USE IN THE ANESTHESIOLOGY JOURNALS

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