RESPONSIBLE OPIOID PRESCRIBING: A PHYSICIAN'S GUIDE

FSMB Model Policy
Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician's Guide is based on the Federation of State Medical Board's influential Model Policy for the Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain. The Model Policy is a revision of a set of guidelines initiated in 1997 by the FSMB Foundation to assist state medical boards and other health care regulatory boards in promoting the appropriate use of controlled substances in the management of chronic cancer and non-cancer pain. The project was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and developed in collaboration with the American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics, the American Pain Society, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the University of Wisconsin Pain & Policies Studies Group, and state medical boards.

More than 300,000 copies of the original guidelines and Model Policy have been distributed to state medical boards, medical professional organizations, other health care regulatory boards, patient advocacy groups, pharmaceutical companies and state and federal regulatory agencies. Nearly 30 states have adopted all or part of the Guidelines/Policy for their own policies.

The Model Policy simultaneously recognizes the growing problem of illegal trafficking and abuse of prescription medications, while clearly communicating that physicians who prescribe opioid analgesics for legitimate medical purposes and in the course of professional practice should not fear disciplinary action. The Model Policy reflects significant progress made in the medical community's understanding of pain management in recent years by:

• Recognizing the inadequate management of pain and barriers to appropriate treatment;
• Emphasizing the dual obligation of government to develop a system that prevents abuse, trafficking and diversion of controlled substances while ensuring their availability for legitimate medical purposes;
• Revising definitions of addiction, chronic pain and physical dependence to reflect current consensus and expertise in the medical community; and
• Updating criteria for evaluating the appropriate management of pain.

To view the Model Policy for the Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain, visit http://www.fsmb.org/grpol_policydocs.html.