Healthcare Professionals' Perspective
Healthcare Professionals Transition into the New Paradigm of Pain Management

As advancements in pain management gain awareness throughout the healthcare community, opioids will gain acceptance as a safe, effective form of treatment for intractable pain. To bring about this awareness, healthcare providers, state medical boards, and the DEA need to understand that:

• addiction is rarely if ever associated with opioid treatment for intractable pain
• formal pain management curriculum must be introduced into medical schools to avoid customary prescribing behavior
• opioids should be prescribed and distributed at levels proportional to the levels of pain the patient is experiencing no matter what the age or ethnicity of the patients may be
• regulatory programs perpetuate inadequate pain treatment

Because this transition into the new paradigm of adequately treating intractable pain will take an enormous effort on the part of the healthcare community, the American Academy of Pain Medicine and the American Pain Society recommended guidelines for opioid treatment for intractable pain.²¹ They urge healthcare providers to push state legislators for much needed reform on opioid prescribing that will mimic the guidelines they have prepared. Regulators have also asked for these guidelines to help them distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate prescribing behaviors.

Also, physicians can follow these steps to eliminate fear of regulatory scrutiny:²⁰

• help bring state laws and regulations up-to-date
• seek clarification if risk of sanctions is perceived
• communicate with the regulatory and licensing officials in each state
• join the debate about multiple copy prescription programs
• become involved in efforts to prevent diversion
• get the multiple copy prescription forms if your state requires them

All parties involved in prescribing—clinicians, state medical boards, DEA—need to become educated about appropriate opioid therapy for intractable pain. Once they understand the medical need for opioids for intractable pain, they can begin to work together, instead of against each other, to relieve patients of their pain.