Pain or Opioid Withdrawal in Hospitalized Patients

The goal of this pilot pathway is to provide evidence-based, safe, and compassionate treatment

of pain and opioid withdrawal for hospitalized or emergency department patients with active opioid use

disorder (OUD). Patients with OUD have substantial opioid tolerance and require higher doses of

opioids for effective analgesia compared to opioid-naïve patients.

General approach: Treat pain and withdrawal with a combination of methadone or buprenorphine,

short-acting opioids, and non-opioid adjuvants.