Our Stance On The Use of Pain Medication to Treat Pain

 

Chronic pain can be a debilitating and life altering condition. It can negatively affect every aspect of a sufferer’s life. Individuals in pain commonly lose the ability to satisfactorily perform their normal daily activities.

 

Isolation, depression, anxiety, and insomnia occur frequently as a direct result. The joys of life are distorted and the only focus is on the pain itself. Many people in chronic pain feel their doctors lack empathy and do not take them or their pain seriously. These feelings are intensified when patients have tried surgery and other available invasive treatments only to have their pain level persist or even become worse. Due to the current increase in public concerns with pain prescriptions, doctors themselves have become reluctant to willingly prescribe pain medication to their patients. This is tragically leaving millions without help.

 

Insurance companies can further intensify the problem. Some have embraced the negative stereotypes and made blanket policies to discourage the use of certain kinds of effective medication for pain management. Additionally, they’ve increased the administrative burden to doctors to the point where organizations and providers have chosen to withdraw from treating patients with these medications altogether. This trend is leaving millions of chronic pain sufferers with few options to try to control their pain.

 

The subject of pain management medication, primarily opioid medications, is highly controversial. Some of the negative hype is deserved.  Opioid abuse (and death) is a serious problem that involves peer pressure, mental health, and many other complex issues. It is easy to find statistics on the abuse that occurs in our country. However, what is not regularly reported are the millions and millions of people whose lives have been positively impacted by the correct and appropriate use of pain medication. When medication is properly managed, daily function can be increased with minimal risk of adverse events.

  

We advocate that pain medication has its place in pain management. Patients in monitored programs are able to significantly reduce their suffering, improve their function and become more productive people. They are able to get back to the things they enjoy most in life and not live a life crippled by their pain

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Patient Candidacy and Compliance

 

The key is to follow an evidence-based medical process and safely prescribe medications through a compliance checklist to address the complexities of pain management. Realief Medical has established a strict assessment for candidacy and an opioid protocol to make narcotic prescriptions as safe and effective as possible. The protocol includes:

 

• Comprehensive review of at least the prior 6 months of medical records and documentation of the patient’s condition 

• Assessment of a complete list of medications

  • Cross referenced to ensure a patient has received a beneficial response to the narcotic medications

• Document social history including drug abuse if applicable

• Record specific treatment goals with regular progress notes taken

• Intake of initial and on-going Pain Scale Assessment

• Provide a detailed explanation and documentation of narcotic risks and benefitsto the patient

• Offer referrals and additional treatments offered (e.g. procedures, rehabilitation)

• Conduct regular and routine physical examinations

• Obtain signature of opioid agreements to facilitate compliance and safety

• Perform regular but impromptu urine drug screening to ensure compliance with treatment protocols

 

Dr. Alfred Anderson and our team serve as advocates and lead the way in responsible and safe opioid medication management.  We’ve been successfully treating patients in pain for more than 40 years. Under Dr. Anderson’s care, thousands of people have gotten control of their pain and live happy and productive lives. Our clinic welcomes patients and treats them with respect and dignity with no assumptions made.  Our sincere goal is to help patients return to things in life that matter most to them. 

 

Call us today at 952-456-6160 to begin the patient assessment process.