Expert-based recommendations on acetaminophen for musculoskeletal pain: insights from the Italian MOST pain panel.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain remains a prevalent cause of disability and healthcare burden. Acetaminophen is widely used for its safety and accessibility, but its positioning within multimodal pain strategies varies across healthcare systems.

Areas covered: This expert-based position paper aims to offer practical reflections on the role of acetaminophen in managing acute MSK pain, based on the experience of a multidisciplinary panel of Italian clinicians. The manuscript addresses current prescribing practices, organizational barriers, and opportunities for optimizing acetaminophen use across clinical settings.

Expert opinion: Rather than presenting a systematic review, this paper synthesizes experiential knowledge and clinical reasoning drawn from routine practice. The insights may be particularly relevant for healthcare systems undergoing reform or seeking to strengthen pain management strategies for managing acute musculoskeletal pain across all age groups.