Non‐scheduled short‐acting opioid to taper off opioids?

Abstract This commentary discusses the issues related to the current pharmacotherapy using super long‐acting opioids (for the potential convenience for both patients and medical providers) for opioid addiction and argues for the potential to use a non‐scheduled short‐acting opioid to taper off opioids to reduce total number of patients on opioids and ultimately reduce opioid‐related death. This article also proposes to develop short‐acting opioids for addiction management instead of the current long‐acting regimen. The authors further suggest that dezocine, a previously FDA approved medication for perioperative pain management and a non‐scheduled opioid, be brought back to clinical practice in the US as a potential alternative addiction management medication, especially for those who are highly motivated to quit opioids completely using a taper off strategy.