DEA guidance tells physicians how to prescribe pain meds
Ambulatory Safety Monitor, August 18, 2004
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Physicians can legally prescribe pain medications as long as they have an "established" physician-patient relationship, including an examination, treatment plan, and medical record documentation, according to a new report from pain specialists and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The 48-page document released August 11 explains for the first time exactly how physicians and others should treat pain appropriately without attracting scrutiny. Suggested actions include keeping records of the patient's treatment and carefully documenting the medical history and physical examination that affirmed the need to prescribe the painkiller.
Pain is the leading cause of adult disability in the United States, yet it continues to go vastly undertreated, according to the American Pharmacists Association. The JCAHO requires clinicians to treat pain as the "fifth vital sign" and do everything they can to alleviate it in their patients.
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