Online Library for Opioid Stewardship

Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale

Resource Type: Tool
Year: 2003
Organization/Source: Yale School of Medicine
Tags: MAT/MOUD, Screening and Assessment

According to NIDA, the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) is an 11-item scale designed to be administered by a clinician. This tool can be used in both inpatient and outpatient settings to reproducibly rate common signs and symptoms of opiate withdrawal and monitor these symptoms over time. The summed score for the complete scale can be used to help clinicians determine the stage or severity of opiate withdrawal and assess the level of physical dependence on opioids.

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