Presented by Erin Krebs, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Minnesota Medical School
Minneapolis VA Health Care System

The origins of today’s opioid overdose epidemic can be traced to changes in opioid prescribing that began in the mid-1990s, especially increasing use of opioids for chronic pain. Long-term opioid therapy became a standard treatment for chronic pain, despite a lack of high-quality data on benefits and harms. As an NIH panel determined in 2015, “evidence is insufficient for every clinical decision that a provider needs to make about the use of opioids for chronic pain.” Classical randomized clinical trials have failed to answer critical questions about starting and stopping opioids for chronic pain. This seminar will focus on pragmatic research design methods, challenges, and advantages for addressing opioid-related questions. I will present examples from my research, including a completed pragmatic trial of opioid versus nonopioid analgesic therapy and ongoing studies of opioid tapering and discontinuation.

All faculty, staff, and students welcome!