Clinical practice guidelines are used in health care as an educational tool to improve patient care as a potential solution to reduce inappropriate variations in care. Opioid prescribing guidelines provide clear and comprehensive, evidence-based recommendations incorporating current information and practices for practitioners. This activity will examine the scope, impact, key statistics and factors contributing to the opioid crisis and highlight the current recommended opioid prescribing guidelines, their challenges and the role of state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP). Strategies to aid in implementing the opioid prescribing guidelines and to mitigate the opioid crisis will also be discussed.