
Long-Term Opioid Use: A Cautious Approach
A panel of Yale instructors from medicine, physician associate studies, nursing, and public health discusses how clinicians should approach patients on long-term opioid therapy. Drawing on a recurring case study performed by actors, the panelists walk through the risks of extended opioid prescribing, signs that a treatment plan needs reassessment, and how to balance pain management against the danger of dependence. Each speaker brings a different professional lens, from prescribing practices to care coordination, building a composite picture of how a treatment team should monitor and adjust long-term opioid use. The segment is part of Yale's Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers course, aimed at giving frontline clinicians practical, evidence-based tools for managing substance use disorder patients responsibly rather than reflexively continuing or cutting off opioid prescriptions.