Doctors should avoid fentanyl patches and identify a treatment length when prescribing opioids for non-cancer pain, according to a new guide to help navigate the challenges in reducing opioid abuse.

Many doctors are increasingly concerned about opioid overuse and are seeking ways to cut down prescriptions of the drugs, say the authors of the new guide from Flinders University titled Responding to Pharmaceutical Opioid-Related Problems: A Resource for Prescribers.