Pain Management

B. Licensure and Discipline as it Relates to Pain Management

New, easy guidelines on prescribing, 51 Action Report - Medical Board of California (October 1994).

• This report announces the new intractable pain relief statute in California.

A Statement by the Medical Board, 50 Action Report - Medical Board of California (July 1994).

• This report reviews in detail why California's medical board recently passed the intractable pain relief statute.

Joranson et al., "Opioids for Chronic Cancer and Non-Cancer Pain: A Survey of State Medical Board Members," Federation Bulletin (June 1992).

• This is an overview of surveyed medical board members to determine their views on the use of opioids for treatment of cancer pain and chronic non-malignant pain.

Joranson et al., "Intractable Pain Treatment Laws and Regulations," American Pain Society Bulletin, (March/April 1995).

• This first of two articles discusses current federal policy and new state laws regarding the use of opioids to treat people with intractable pain.

Joranson et al., "State Medical Board Guidelines for Treatment of Intractable Pain," American Pain Society Bulletin, (May/June 1995).

• This second of two articles discusses state medical board guidelines and provides information on potential federal legislation that would significantly affect pain clinicians and patients.

Portenoy, R.K., "The Effect of Drug Regulation on the Management of Cancer Pain," N.Y.S. J Med 91 (1991): 16S.

Skelly, FJ "Painful Barriers," 37 American Medical News, 15 (May 9, 1994).

• Physicians hesitate prescribing certain types of drugs because of monitoring programs. These programs are designed to prevent prescription abuse but often result in improper pain control. Physicians should make their views known in states considering changing or instituting these monitoring programs.

Skelly, FJ "Price of pain control: Is this the risk you face by appropriately prescribing Narcotics for pain?," 37 American Medical News, 17 (May 16, 1994).

• This article uses an actual account of a physician investigated for prescribing practices. It discusses why physicians are fearful of prescribing medication for pain management.

Skelly, FJ "Painful Truth," 37 American Medical News, 19 (March 7, 1994).

• This article addresses the barriers to pain management, including licensure and disciplinary concerns.

Skelly, FJ "Fear of Sanctions Limits Prescribing of Pain Drugs," 37 American Medical News, 19 (August 15, 1994).

• Physicians admit some patients were not receiving adequate pain relief because physicians fear being disciplined.

SoRelle, R "Doctors Hail Goard's Proposed Guidelines for Pain Treatment," Houston Chronicle (January 7, 1995).

• Texas medical board proposed rules for treating pain in Texas.

State of California, Summit on Effective Pain Management: Removing Impediments to Appropriate Prescribing (March 18, 1994).

• This is the publication from a conference held in California to address pain management.

Ward et al., "Patient-Related Barriers to Management of Cancer Pain," Pain 52 (1993): 319-24.

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