The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports death rates from prescription opioid pain reliever overdoses in America quadrupled during the last decade. The connection between pain management drugs and addiction is undeniable but may be entirely preventable. New Jersey has a prescription monitoring program that collects data on controlled substances. Pharmacies must submit data weekly. Doctors can access the prescription history for each patient. Only 23 percent are registered, but starting now it’s mandatory for physicians to renew their licenses. JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute Pain Management Program Medical Director Dr. Iqbal Jafri told NJTV News Anchor Mary Alice Williams that all physicians should make an effort to use the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
Jafri said that the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program is working but he would like to see more physicians using it.
In his experience, Jafri said the program is not cumbersome and it takes about one minute to go to the computer and look at the prescription data of the patient that is being prescribed medication. He said that he feels all physicians should make an extra effort to use the program.
“Every doctor should not necessarily be giving pain medication. Why they should give pain medication is my question. Every pain does not need pain pills,” said Jafri.
Jafri said that for acute pain, doctors can give pain medications but should start with non-opioids. He said that if doctors start with giving non-opioids and it does not work then they should give opioids. He said he considers acute pain as a symptom but chronic pain he can treat as a disease syndrome. He said that each pain is different and there are pain conditions that are not treated with opioids.
With the program, there is a pain psychologist who evaluates a patient before the patient sees the doctor, said Jafri. He said that after the evaluation, the psychologist tells the doctors if the patient has a problem with drug abuse. He said if there is a problem with cigarette smoking or any other substance abuse, the psychologist would evaluate that. He said that the physician would then make the call based on the evaluation.
Jafri said that physicians need to be educated about pain, acute pain and chronic pain and treatment of those pains. He said that acupuncture and physical therapy are the best approach to treating chronic pain rather than using opioids.
“Pain patients have not only a problem with pain but coping with the pain. They have stress and they have weakness of the muscles so they need physical therapy and psychological support, counseling to help cope with the pain,” said Jafri.