Ms B Has Chronic Hip Pain Due to Osteoarthritis and Recently

Ms. B has chronic hip pain due to osteoarthritis and recently has been taking up to six of her short-acting hydrocodone-acetaminophen tablets daily due to decreased time periods of pain relief with her regular regimen of four tablets per day. As a result, she runs out of her medication 5 days before her monthly refill. Which is the best strategy to address her chronic pain?

A) Physiologic dependence is common in chronic pain management and we should increase her total daily tablets to six hydrocodone-acetaminophen.
B) This is her first contract violation. Her pain meds should be tapered off.
C) She should be cross-tapered to a long-acting opiate to decrease rebound pain.
D) She should be referred to an opiate-addiction program because she is obviously displaying addictive behavior.