Prescribers could find themselves in legal peril if they do not respond appropriately to the results of laboratory tests ordered for patients on opioid therapy, said Jennifer Bolen, JD to attendees of PAINWeek 2013.
At PAINWeek 2013, Stephen J. Ziegler, JD, PhD presented his case that media reports of egregious cases of illegal opioid prescribing create unwarranted fear of administrative and law enforcement scrutiny among physicians.
Treatment agreement documents are an expected and sometimes legally required part of managing chronic pain patients with opioid medications, but the extent to which patients understand the particulars of such agreements is questionable, said clinical psychologist Ted W. Jones, PhD, at PAINWeek 2013.
Patients with chronic pain frequently have multiple comorbidities that can affect pain level and treatment. The complexity model, presented by John F. Peppin, DO, FACP, at PAINWeek 2013 incorporates categories of factors that might influence chronic pain.
