The CDC draft Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids (update to the 2016 Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain) has posted in the Federal Register and the 60-day public comment period begins today. Public comment provides valuable insight from the populations that we serve. Please note that the 60-day public comment period will end on April 11, 2022. 

CDC is committed to supporting safe and effective pain care options for patients. CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) is in the process of updating the 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. Both healthcare professionals and members of the public who experience acute or chronic pain have expressed interest in understanding the recommendations outlined in the draft updated Guideline, and CDC highly values public and partner engagement and feedback in this process.

<Visit the Federal Register to provide your comments on the draft Guideline update> 

Submitting a Comment

See below for instructions to submit a comment during the public comment period. More detailed instructions can also be found on the Federal Register Notice (FRN) webpage and in the FRN for this document.  

To locate the FRN and view the draft of the updated Guideline, you can either:   

• Click on the direct link to the FRN in this email or
• Go to Federal Register.gov and search for "CDC's Guideline for Prescribing Opioids" or Document Number 2022-02802
• To inspect the draft Clinical Practice Guideline and supporting documents, please go to this link and click "View More Documents:” https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2022-0024-0002

To submit a comment to CDC, please view the methods outlined in the FRN under the "Addresses" heading and select which option you prefer:

• Electronic comments via the website Regulations.gov 

• Mail

To ask a question, click on the “For Further Information Contact” heading in the FRN for the agency official contact information. 

General information about the process to provide a public comment can be found at the following links:  

• Federal Register: Reader Aids: Using FederalRegister.Gov
• Federal Register: Reader Aids: Videos & Tutorials