Opioid safety

How opioids can be prescribed safely

Opioid drugs are highly addictive, which is why there are now strict policies for when and how doctors can prescribe them. Blue Cross of Idaho is doing what we can to help lower the risk of opioid addiction by putting safety precautions into place to make sure that members are prescribed the right kind of opioid care that they need. Our goal is to protect members and ensure these drugs are used safely.

How opioids are safely prescribed

Blue Cross of Idaho follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) guidelines for prescribing opioids to treat chronic pain. Primary care providers (PCP) have a series of steps they need to take when prescribing opioid drugs - especially for patients who haven't taken them before.

Here are a few of the steps PCPs follow before prescribing opioids:

1. Deciding when to start treatment with opioids
2. Limiting the amount of days an opioid is prescribed
3. Prescribing the right strength of opioids
4. Using step therapy by requiring non-opioids to be tried before prescribing an opioid

In addition to this process, Blue Cross of Idaho has removed some of the financial barriers to accessing opioid overdose reversal medicines, such as naloxone. 

Talk to your PCP on how you can take opioids safely

How can you protect yourself? Ask your PCP questions about opioid treatment to find out what treatment is right for you.

Try asking these questions:

• Do I need to take this medication? Is it right for me?
• How long should I take this medication?

Other things to discuss with your PCP:

• How to lower the risks of potential side effects
• If you have a history of addiction
• What to do with unused opioid medicine

These questions and topics can help prepare you for opioid care if it is prescribed to you.

Written by: Blue Cross of Idaho
Published: August 31, 2022
Updated: May 15, 2026