[Opioid crisis: What now? A pain specialist's point of view].

In acute pain, opioids in combination with co-analgesics can be useful and indicated. It is important to evaluate and to treat every single patient individually. Therefore, experienced patient guidance is crucial in pain treatment to reduce the risk of side effects and inappropriate long-term opioid use. The indication and doses for opioids need continuous re-evaluation. Ineffective treatments with opioids have to be tapered. Furthermore, opioid prescription should always be limited in time with a plan to taper it to prevent misuse or even addiction. Alternative medical and non-medical treatment options are important as well. The following text gives advice on how to approach a patient with pain and contains a manual on how to handle opioids in different settings.