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Prescribing the Right Amount of Pain Medications

By Amy Kolczak and Melissa P. Reading
September 29, 2008

Pain is the most common cause of long-term disability, and it is the leading reason patients seek medical attention. Unfortunately, there is also a growing population of patients who, while they may be suffering from chronic pain, are seeking pain medication either to feed their addictions or to re-sell on the street. Thus, physicians seeking to manage their patients' pain with narcotics must be mindful of both the potential liability involved and the potential for scrutiny by their medical boards.

Until recent years, physicians were able to substantially reduce the likelihood of liability or licensure issues by prescribing narcotics at low doses, thereby providing less opportunity for abuse. However, more and more often, medical boards are punishing physicians who under-prescribe medications because they have failed to effectively manage the patient's pain. Physicians are now faced with a tightrope between over-prescription and under-prescription, both of which may result in licensure penalties and lawsuits.

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