Addressing Complex Pharmacotherapy With the Inherited Pain Patient

The prescription drug problem in America has led to many guidelines and, in some cases, regulations aimed at stemming the tide of prescription drug abuse. Some are evidence based, but most are driven by fear and an overwhelming need to do "something." Unfortunately, while these guidelines have offered suggestions of how to apply this information in a clinical context going forward, they provide little information as to the management of those patients who already exceed these current guidelines. This is where the concept of the "inherited patient" comes into play. Some of these patients are doing well while some are doing quite poorly. The undeniable fact is that as these guidelines are being exceeded, risk of a bad outcome increases while likelihood of achieving therapeutic goals decreases. This workshop will, through the use of representative cases, help participants to recognize irrational pharmacotherapy and, when necessary, address it through a combination of pharmacological as well as biopsychosocial frameworks. (Recorded at PAINWeek 2016)