AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force
The American Medical Association (AMA) convened more than 25 national, specialty and state
medical societies in two task force efforts between 2014-2019 to provide specific guidance to
end the nation’s drug-related overdose and death epidemic and focus on the unique needs of
patients with pain. The AMA task forces released recommendations urging physicians to take
action to improve opioid prescribing practices, help prevent opioid use disorder, and provide
evidence-based, compassionate care for patients in pain. The recommendations also focused
on the need for physicians to become trained to better identify and treat opioid use disorder
(OUD), prescribe naloxone to mitigate the risk of an opioid-related overdose to a patient (or for
a family member or friend at risk of an opioid-related overdose), and take other actions to
improve patient outcomes and reduce stigma for patients with pain and those with an OUD.
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