Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription or Fee Access

Ideas and innovations: Inclusion of pharmacists in chronic pain management services in a primary care practice

Robin Moorman Li, PharmD, Rachel Hrabchak Franks, PharmD, Steven G. Dimmitt, DO, George R. Wilson, MD

Abstract


Nonmalignant chronic pain management involves an ongoing process of complex evaluations including proper patient selection, proper prescribing, and careful monitoring. In the Pain Management Refill Clinic, patients are stabilized on an opioid regimen by either a pain specialist or a primary care physician (PCP). The PCP assumes long-term prescription of the regimen and proper follow-up. The inclusion of pharmacists in the management of patients suffering from chronic pain has allowed the physicians to improve opioid prescribing, documentation, and monitoring in accordance with chronic nonmalignant pain guidelines.

Keywords


chronic nonmalignant pain, pharmacist, primary care

Full Text:

PDF

References


Peppin J: The marginalization of chronic pain patients on chronic opioid therapy. Pain Physician. 2009; 12: 493-498.

Bhamb B, Brown D, Hariharan J, et al.: Survey of select practice behaviors by primary care physicians on the use of opioids for chronic pain. Curr Med Res Opin. 2006; 22(9): 1859-1865.

Fishman SM, Mahajan G, Jung S, et al.: The trilateral opioid contract: Bridging the pain clinic and the primary care physician through the opioid contract. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2002; 24(3): 335-344.

Matr M: Overcoming fears, frustrations, and competing demands: An effective integration of pain medicine and primary care to treat complex pain patients. Pain Med. 2007; 8(7): 544-545.

Clark ME: Understand appropriate long-term use of opioids seventeen years and counting. Clin J Pain. 2008; 24(6): 467-468.

Chou R, Fanciullo GJ, Fine PG, et al.: Clinical guidelines for the use of chronic opioid therapy in chronic noncancer pain. J Pain. 2009; 10(2): 113-130.

Gilson AM, Ryan KM, Joranson DE, et al.: A reassessment of trends in the medical use and abuse of opioid analgesics and implications for diversion control 1997-2002. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2004; 28(2): 176-188.

Ballantyne JC, Shin NS: Efficacy of opioids for chronic pain. J Pain. 2008; 24(6): 469-478.

Trescot AM, Helm S, Hansen H, et al.: Opioids in the management of chronic non-cancer pain: An update of American Society of the Interventional Pain Physicians’ (ASIPP) Guidelines. Pain Physician. 2008; 11: S5-S62.

Loder E: Who will prescribe? A proposal for specialized opioid management clinics. Pain Pract. 2003; 3(3): 218-221.

Chelminski PR, Ives TJ, Felix KM, et al.: A primary care, multi-disciplinary disease management program for opioid-treated patients with chronic non-cancer pain and a higher burden of psychiatric comorbidity. BMC Health Serv Res. 2005; 5(3): 1-13.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.5055/jom.2011.0089

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.