This booklet provides primary care providers with guidelines and tools to support them as they work with patients on long term opioid therapy. It is also intended to provide materials for academic detailing on tapering.

It incorporates guidance and content from these key sources:

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Guide for Clinicians on the Appropriate Dosage Reduction or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Analgesics October 2019
• Oregon Health Authority – Opioid Tapering Guidelines – Recommendations for individualized care to reduce harm from opioid use
• BRAVO – A protocol developed by Dr. Anna Lembke (credits below)
• Risk Benefit Analysis flowchart – Developed by the Oregon Pain Guidance Clinical Advisory Group and incorporated into the HHS guidelines on tapering
• Veterans Health Administration Opioid Taper Decision Tool (withdrawal medications)

We are also grateful for the academic detailing framework provided by the National Resource Center for Academic Detailing (NaRCAD).