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There are many instruments that can be used to assess a patient’s risk for addiction. None are perfect. The PainApp includes several items screening for the risk of substance use disorder.

Below is an instrument that can be used in clinical practice:

The Opioid Risk Tool:

The Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP)® is a tool to help clinicians determine how much monitoring a patient on long-term opioid therapy might need.

  • The following are some questions given to all patients who are on or being considered for opioids for their pain. Please answer each question as honestly as possible.
  • This information is for our records and will remain confidential. Your answers alone will not determine your treatment. Thank you.

Please answer the questions below using the following scale:

0 = Never, 1 = Seldom, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Often, 4 = Very Often
1. How often do you have mood swings?
2. How often do you smoke a cigarette within an hour after you wake up?
3. How often have you taken medication other than the way that it was prescribed?
4. How often have you used illegal drugs (for example, marijuana, cocaine, etc.) in the past five years?
5. How often, in your lifetime, have you had legal problems or been arrested?
Please include any additional information you wish about the above answers. Thank you.