Expert Commentary

Today’s Legal and Regulatory Environment

Jennifer Bolen, JD

Founder
The Legal Side of Pain
Knoxville, Tennessee

The current medical, legal and regulatory landscape for opioid prescribing requires vigilance among all stakeholders, particularly prescribers, who need to make a long term commitment to understanding their still evolving set of responsibilities when prescribing controlled substances. Compliance self-audits can help clinicians become conversant with the views of the Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal State Medical Boards, and state agencies on best practices in documentation and the appropriate use of opioid medications to treat patients with pain.

References

  1. Chan KT, Fishman SM. Legal aspects of chronic opioid therapy. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2006 Dec;10(6):426-30.
  2. Gallagher R. Opioids in chronic pain management: Navigating the clinical and regulatory challenges. Fam Pract J. 2004 Oct;53(10 Suppl):S23-32.

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