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Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means it's official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Pennsylvania has taken significant steps to improve prescribing practices for pain and related conditions.  The Department of Health and the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs previously convened the Safe and Effective Prescribing Practices Task Force. Task force membership included state agencies, representatives from medical associations, provider advocates and community members. The task force developed and adopted guidelines for various medical specialties on the safe and effective use of opioids and other controlled substances. Since the release of Pennsylvania’s guidelines, federal government agencies have also released clinical guidance relevant to these topics, which are included below.

    Clinical guidance from federal agencies:

    Clinical guidelines from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: