An opioid dispensing and misuse prevention algorithm for community pharmacy practice.

Background: Prescription opioid abuse has rapidly increased in recent years and is now considered a national epidemic by the United States government. Community pharmacies are at the forefront of opioid abuse, given their role in dispensing opioid prescriptions. Despite this role, however, there are few known guidelines to help community pharmacists navigate the process of detecting and managing prescription opioid abuse.