Legal Issues in Pediatric Opioid Therapy

Although the current public health disaster related to opioids has had greatest impact on the adult population, infants, children and adolescents are also being harmed. Yet as usual, the pediatric population has not received adequate attention from the policymakers. Some of the unique issues facing pediatric patients include families devastated by parental drug use, infants with NAS, toddlers sickened or even killed by accidental ingestions, and adolescents provided a means to suicide. Federal, state, and local governmental interventions and policies meant to address the opioid crisis are outlined according to the role of those agencies. The impact of current laws and guidelines is reviewed with a proposed action plan for clinicians who care for pediatric patients.