DEA Ruling Allowing Multiple Prescriptions For Controlled Substances

erosion

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Oct 16, 2003
Messages
3,182
DEA Ruling Allowing Multiple Prescriptions For Controlled Substances
Medical News Today
November 20, 2007


The American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) supports today's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ruling, which allows multiple prescriptions for controlled substances when appropriate. This DEA Final Ruling, "Issuance of Multiple Prescriptions for Schedule II Controlled Substances," was published in the Federal Register on Monday, Nov. 19, 2007.

AAPM considers this ruling to be a positive indication of recently improved communication between the medical community and law enforcement. Under protest from pain physicians, the DEA had previously disallowed "Do Not Fill Until…" prescriptions for several years. The agency's Final Rule has been eagerly awaited by these concerned physicians who must provide legitimate pain control.

Although not in effect until 30 days from the date of the final ruling on "Issuance of Multiple Prescriptions for Schedule II Controlled Substances," this rule change allows physicians to write three separate prescriptions with staggered fill dates. Patients can still be given the equivalent of a 90-day prescription for schedule II controlled substances when medically appropriate. Schedule II drugs are those that have recognized medical uses as well as a potential for dependence and abuse. Consequently, these drugs are carefully controlled and regulated by the DEA.

This welcome policy reversal by the DEA has eliminated the burden previously imposed on patients with cancer or chronic pain who were forced to visit their physician every month for new pain medicine prescriptions when there was no medical necessity to do so. The DEA now allows physicians to use their professional judgment to carefully control the amount of a controlled substance issued to a patient at one time. "Do Not Fill Until…" prescriptions offer increased control, safety and convenience, and may be issued in small increments for at-risk patients, or by the month to comply with insurance reimbursement regulations.

With today's Final Rule, the DEA has recognized the need for policies that support effective control of potentially abusable drugs that do not unnecessarily hinder the appropriate treatment of pain. On behalf of all legitimate patients with pain, AAPM continues to address and debate policies that address the dual crises of prescription drug abuse and undertreated pain. AAPM is committed to safe and effective treatment of pain and to effective policy on prescription drug abuse.

----------------------------
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
----------------------------

The American Academy of Pain Medicine was a contributor to the Federation of State Medical Boards Model Policy for the Use of Controlled Substances in the Treatment of Pain and has developed educational programs for physicians on pain assessment, opioid usage, detection of addiction, and prevention of diversion. The American Academy of Pain Medicine is the organization representing physicians who specialize in treating complex pain disorders.

Source: Amy Jenkins
American Academy of Pain Medicine

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/89370.php
 
Good news. Personally I'm not that averse to the fact that there are no refills on schedule II meds, because the doc should be following the patient closely, but there are definitely situations in which this is appropriate, e.g. when the patient has to travel a long way to the office, the patient is going away from an extended period, expense of the office visit is prohibitive, etc.
 
Good. It's crazy that the DEA has so much power over what and when doctors could prescribe what they see fit.

Personally I'm not that averse to the fact that there are no refills on schedule II meds, because the doc should be following the patient closely, but there are definitely situations in which this is appropriate, e.g. when the patient has to travel a long way to the office, the patient is going away from an extended period, expense of the office visit is prohibitive, etc.
A lot of the stronger opiates are for chronic pain only. They're meant to be used long-term. There's really no need to show up every 30 days just to get a script written in 1 minute. Every 3 months seems much better.
 
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Good looks DEA. Thanks for doin something right for once. I always thought it was total bullshit to have to go on a dr. visit everytime. "Oh yea so...Those 4 rods in your spine, still hurts right? Still cant bend over? Feelin any better there, no? Ok, then well stick with your 80's" WTF is the point of that. Like phrozen said, most of these ppl are longterm chronic pain patients, there just aint no need for payin for a visit and havin to cart your creaky ass to the doctors so you can just get another slip of paper.
 
phrozen said:
A lot of the stronger opiates are for chronic pain only. They're meant to be used long-term. There's really no need to show up every 30 days just to get a script written in 1 minute. Every 3 months seems much better.

True but on general principle chronic pain patients had ought to be followed for dosage titration, side effects, worsening of underlying condition, etc. If someone is really just "showing up every 30 days to get a script written in 1 minute" that's not good medicine being practiced in the first place.
 
I'm pretty sure that drs could always write prescriptions on c2 drugs for up to a 90 day supply, but couldn't write refills. I'm not 100% sure, but I remember reading something about that on the DEAs website.
 
A lot of doctors will FedEx the scripts to patients who travel a long distance to eliminate pointless doc visits and cost.
 
twgburst said:
I'm pretty sure that drs could always write prescriptions on c2 drugs for up to a 90 day supply, but couldn't write refills. I'm not 100% sure, but I remember reading something about that on the DEAs website.

States differ but the majority of them are only allowed to write a 30 script of CII's with no refills. You cant write refills on any CII.

I am glad to see that the DEA is actually doing something useful with our money espcially dealing with the Pain managment problem in the US today.
 
Top