The onus is on healthcare professionals to ensure safe and efficient use of controlled substances. The path ahead is strewn with risks, and the DEA registered physicians have to tread the line verycarefully.
Controlled substances are used for good reason by physicians, nurses, dentists, veterinarians and other healthcare providers. While the most common use is pain relief, controlled substances serve as effective medications for extreme cases of anxiety, insomnia and cough as well. However, given the potential for misuse and abuse, these medicines are strictly regulated by DEA controlled substance regulations.
Therefore,healthcare practitioners (those who are registered to handle controlled substances) bear the grave responsibility to decide whether to prescribe a controlled substance or not. The dilemma is double-edged here – in case physiciansavoid the inherent risks by skipping prescribing a controlled medication, they may undertreat which will lead to unnecessary suffering. On the other hand, if they give the patient the benefit of doubt, they menace of adverse effects, overdosing and misuse are likely to surface.
Where does the problem lie?
Given the incidence of offences related to controlled substances, the very first hitch is deciphering genuine needs from false and staged ones.
Miscreants and other illegal elements are not beyond faking ‘symptoms’ associated with the need for controlled substances to get prescriptions from a DEA registered physician. This kind of illegitimate use can land the healthcare professional is hot water with the DEA, no matter how innocent or authentic their case.
Therefore, prescribers need to pay greater attention to the signs and symptoms (like acute pain) of people who actually require controlled substances. In the same vein, they should be able to distinguishpeople who are complaining of phony symptoms. Above all, the greatest need is to recognize the signs and symptoms of those who are addicted to these controlled substances.
The challenge here is that the pain tolerance level varies from person to person. So, what appears as average symptoms to a physician may be acute for the patient and it does not make sense to deprive him/her of adequate pain relief from a, say, opioid analgesic.
Hence, it is not just about proper assessment of the patient alone. The DEA-registered physician has to also prepare a clear treatment plan for both the short and long term. He/she should maintain a close follow-up and continuous monitoring to check whether the patient is actually using the medicines and getting the requisite relief. The possibilities of misuse and diversion have to be kept at the forefront at all times.
A clear red flag is when a patient shows dependence or even demands regular/extra prescriptions than required. Or, in contrast, seems to show no change in health despite taking the medicines ‘regularly’.
That’s not all. DEA registered healthcare providers are subject to a host of other rules and regulations. Keeping track of complete compliance in the course of attending and treating patients can get quite challenging. So, why not entrust the compliance – including for veterinary DEA regulations – to a competent professional like Titan Group!
