In a KevinMD blog post, George F. Indest, III, president and managing partner at The Health Law Firm, lays out 24 pain management-related tips for physicians.
Here are 10 of the tips:
1. Excellent documentation is a must.
2. If you are not a certified specialist in pain medicine, refer pain management patients out to one who is.
3. Be sure of the patient's identity — require valid, government-issued identification.
4. If prescribing opiates for more than a short, chronic episode, require a pain management contract be signed by the patient in which the patient acknowledges your guidelines and requirements.
5. Require a urinalysis test before every visit.
6. Establish and maintain a good relationship with the pharmacists at the local pharmacies around your practice, especially the independents.
7. Terminate the patient immediately if the patient demonstrates drug seeking behavior.
8. Require current x-rays, MRI's and diagnostic tests.
9. Don't be tempted to deviate from your practice standards and procedures by the fact that the patient is a celebrity or wealthy person.
10. Treat only a few pain management patients in your practice if you are not board certified in the subspecialty of pain medicine, and you are not part of a large, institutional of pain management clinics.
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