Stethoscopes, Handcuffs and Pain
Reading Time: 2 minutes.
When does managing pain become a crime?
And, what can a healthcare provider do to stay out of trouble in these days of the “opioid epidemic”, new federal legislation and the criminal prosecution of doctors?
I make a few suggestions here in Pain Management News:
That’s the question many physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and physician assistants (PAs) are asking in the wake of a tidal wave of prosecutions related to pain medicine. This has been partly spurred on by the “opioid epidemic.” There has been a sharp spike in convictions—either by guilty plea or by conviction after a trial—of health care professionals involved in pain medicine.
The facts of each case are different, but the gist of each charge is that health care providers are operating a “pill mill,” where prescriptions are being provided “outside the usual course of medical practice” and “not for a legitimate medical purpose.” There also may be a charge that procedures or tests are not “medically necessary.”
Read the full article here, and our previous notes on related topics:
Mute Oracle: The Controlled Substances Act and Physicians’ Criminal Conduct
(via Zyance)
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Pill Mills, Poppy Flowers, Dead Poets and the Human Resources Department
