Blood testing in chronic pain management

Abstract

Blood testing is quickly becoming a useful laboratory tool for opioid prescribers who wish to document and assess patient tolerance, more objectively monitor patient safety, and evaluate patient compliance using information that is not available with traditional urine drug testing (UDT). Blood testing does not need to be performed as frequently as UDT but provides extremely valuable information which can be used to more accurately evaluate patient compliance and assist with interpreting blood toxicology results commonly used in impairment or overdose cases. This narrative review presents the current evidence supporting the use of blood testing within the chronic pain management setting. In addition, this review aims to introduce and discuss the role of routine blood testing within the chronic pain management setting. Blood testing for the purpose of documenting opioid tolerance is a relatively novel tool for pain physicians and as such this review is not intended to be a comprehensive or exhaustive review of the scientific or medical literature. Prescribers must also be aware that this type of laboratory testing need only be administered to chronic pain patients receiving daily opioid therapy. Patients taking infrequent, low dose, or as needed medications are not anticipated to benefit from this type of test. Based on the complexity of both achieving acceptable outcomes with opioid treatment and the legal and societal issues at hand, we feel that the addition of blood concentration levels will become the standard of care in the near future.