Best Practices in Prescribing Protocol

Most state licensing boards specify that if you’re in a chronic opioid prescribing situation, you have to do a history and physical evaluation, write up a treatment plan, be sure there is informed consent, and a treatment agreement. If it’s a new patient that you don’t know well, think about a slow dance. Take some time. Get the old medical records. Do a PDMP check--the prescription drug monitoring database or program. Get that information and you’ll cut down on the potential for hit and run where a patient is coming in just to get a prescription. It can also set the stage for a very good relationship where the physician can trust but verify the patient’s situation.