AMA TO VOICE CONCERNS TO DEA OVER PAIN MEDICATION PRESCRIBING POLICY

The American Medical Association will work with the Drug Enforcement
Administration to address physician concerns that an interim policy
statement published by the agency in November could interfere with the
way doctors prescribe opioid analgesic medications to some patients.
Doctors worry that the statement could make it illegal to write
multiple pain medication prescriptions for a patient on the day of a
visit and evaluation. Physicians also worry that they no longer could
legally write directions for dispensing additional medication on
future, specified dates. At the AMA's Interim Meeting in Atlanta this
month, delegates called on the Association to support interpreting
federal law in a way that would let doctors continue to write pain
medication prescriptions for patients in need, while letting the
government provide oversight and regulation to minimize risks to
patients' health and safety.