Long term (current) use of opiate analgesic

This code indicates a patient's ongoing, prescribed use of an opiate analgesic for pain management or other legitimate medical purposes. It signifies that the patient is currently receiving and has been on this medication long-term, distinguishing it from acute or short-term use.

Apply this code when documenting a patient's chronic opioid therapy for conditions such as chronic back pain, neuropathic pain, or cancer-related pain. It is appropriate for patients who are stable on a long-term opiate regimen under medical supervision.

• Always sequence this code as a secondary diagnosis, following the code for the underlying condition being treated.
• Do not use this code for opioid dependence, abuse, or addiction; refer to codes in the F11 category for those conditions.
• Ensure documentation clearly specifies "long-term" or "chronic" use of an opiate analgesic to support this code.