Re: FYI-what your doctors worry about

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/08/2004 20:10:05 Central Standard Time,

RATHRONAN@... writes:

>

> New Pain Guidelines Help MDs, PatientsBy LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP

> WASHINGTON (Aug. 11) - Doctors cannot be arrested for properly prescribing

> narcotic painkillers that are the best treatment for millions of suffering

> patients, according to new guidelines from pain specialists and the Drug

> Enforcement Administration.

> The guidelines, written by leading pain specialists together with the DEA,

> come because many doctors hesitate to prescribe the powerful drugs, which

> are

> heavily regulated because they can be abused by addicts.

> The new document for the first time spells out the exact steps doctors

> should

> take to ensure their patients get appropriate medical care without

> attracting

> DEA scrutiny. The idea is to get better pain treatment for Americans.

> " There are many misconceptions about DEA's role ... that lead to unwarranted

> fear that doctors who treat pain aggressively are singled out, " said

>

> Good, DEA's chief of prescription drug diversion.

> The guidelines, being distributed Wednesday to DEA agents and physicians

> alike, should help eliminate " this aura of fear, " Good added.

> The DEA regulates how doctors prescribe drugs that are controlled

> substances,

> such as opioid painkillers - morphine, codeine, fentanyl, Oxycontin - to

> ensure they're not diverted for illegal use.

> The main message: " Pain medicine is not to contribute to abuse, and law

> enforcement is not to interfere in patient care, " said Joranson,

> director of

> pain policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School, who

> helped

> write the guidelines.

> Undertreatment of chronic, serious pain is considered a major medical

> problem. For example, painkillers known as opioids are considered standard

> of care

> for serious pain from cancer, AIDS and among the terminally ill - yet about

> 40

> percent of those patients are undertreated, said Dr. Portenoy, pain

> chief at Beth Israel Medical Center and a leading pain specialist.

> The new guidelines spell out steps that ensure proper prescribing, such as

> records showing the doctor performed a clear medical history and physical

> examination to document the need for the painkiller.

> Measuring pain intensity and extent of relief over time, and documented in

> the patient's records, " is important evidence of the appropriateness of

> therapy, " say the guidelines, written as a series of questions-and-answers

> for doctors

> to keep on file.

>

[Guest guest]

Excellent news - and it's about time! Thanks for sending this in, Cary.

I'll have to see if I can find the document itself.

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] Re: FYI-what your doctors worry about

> In a message dated 11/08/2004 20:10:05 Central Standard Time,

> RATHRONAN@... writes:

>

>

> >

> > New Pain Guidelines Help MDs, PatientsBy LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP

> > WASHINGTON (Aug. 11) - Doctors cannot be arrested for properly

prescribing

> > narcotic painkillers that are the best treatment for millions of

suffering

> > patients, according to new guidelines from pain specialists and the

Drug

> > Enforcement Administration.

> > The guidelines, written by leading pain specialists together with

the DEA,

> > come because many doctors hesitate to prescribe the powerful drugs,

which

> > are

> > heavily regulated because they can be abused by addicts.

> > The new document for the first time spells out the exact steps

doctors

> > should

> > take to ensure their patients get appropriate medical care without

> > attracting

> > DEA scrutiny. The idea is to get better pain treatment for

Americans.

> > " There are many misconceptions about DEA's role ... that lead to

unwarranted

> > fear that doctors who treat pain aggressively are singled out, " said

> >

> > Good, DEA's chief of prescription drug diversion.

> > The guidelines, being distributed Wednesday to DEA agents and

physicians

> > alike, should help eliminate " this aura of fear, " Good added.

> > The DEA regulates how doctors prescribe drugs that are controlled

> > substances,

> > such as opioid painkillers - morphine, codeine, fentanyl,

Oxycontin - to

> > ensure they're not diverted for illegal use.

> > The main message: " Pain medicine is not to contribute to abuse, and

law

> > enforcement is not to interfere in patient care, " said

Joranson,

> > director of

> > pain policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School,

who

> > helped

> > write the guidelines.

> > Undertreatment of chronic, serious pain is considered a major

medical

> > problem. For example, painkillers known as opioids are considered

standard

> > of care

> > for serious pain from cancer, AIDS and among the terminally ill -

yet about

> > 40

> > percent of those patients are undertreated, said Dr.

Portenoy, pain

> > chief at Beth Israel Medical Center and a leading pain specialist.

> > The new guidelines spell out steps that ensure proper prescribing,

such as

> > records showing the doctor performed a clear medical history and

physical

> > examination to document the need for the painkiller.

> > Measuring pain intensity and extent of relief over time, and

documented in

> > the patient's records, " is important evidence of the appropriateness

of

> > therapy, " say the guidelines, written as a series of

questions-and-answers

> > for doctors

> > to keep on file.