OCMA Blog

Avoiding Medical Board Discipline when Prescribing Opiates



There are a host of new, ever changing, and conflicting guidelines from a multitude of regulators and academic societies.  This evolving and uncertain landscape is making the life of a practicing pain physician in the midst of today’s nationwide opiate epidemic…painful.  

Here are 10 Tips to help you avoid Medical Board discipline when prescribing opiates:

1.  Don't Prescribe Opiates Unless . . . 

  • The patient has exhausted all reasonable alternatives.
  • There is medical indication

o   Recently documented objective evidence of/consistent with Patient's Pain Complaints

  • You have conducted a comprehensive history, initial exam, imaging, UDT's, CURES, ORT's, have a signed Pain Contract, and have provided Informed Consent.

2.  Treat the 2014 MBC Guidelines as Dictating the Standard of Care (i.e., rules you must follow) - Deviations from these Guidelines must be justified and documented.

Click here to read the remaining tips.  



Comments are closed.