If you struggle with chronic pain, you may have been prescribed an opioid medication. It is also likely that you have been asked to sign a pain management agreement or opioid treatment agreement. These agreements are commonly known as “opioid contracts” or “pain contracts.” If this is the case, it is important that you understand what is being asked of you before you sign the contract.
What Is a Pain Management Agreement?
A pain medication agreement is a contract between a doctor and a patient. The goal of the agreement is to ensure that patients who are taking opioid drugs do so exactly as their doctor has prescribed.
Years ago, pain medication agreements were rare. They were only required by pain clinics and pain management specialists. But with the increase in opioid addictions, and the scrutiny of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on doctors who prescribe the medications, more general and family practitioners also are requiring patients who take long-term opioid pain medication to sign them.
Pain Management Agreement Details
Although the details of every agreement vary from doctor to doctor, there are a number of elements that are consistent throughout. Here is an overview of the top five things you need to know about pain management agreements before you sign your name. If you cannot agree to these basic elements, then a pain management agreement may not be right for you.
Take Medication As Prescribed
You must take your medication exactly as prescribed, in the specific amount and at the prescribed times. Not following this guidance may lead to termination of the agreement. Even if you feel you don’t need your medication on a certain day, you must still take it. Don’t adjust your dosage or save medication for later.
Similarly, if you feel you need more pain medication, do not take an extra dose without a new prescription from your doctor. Never change the dosage on your own.
Doctors may conduct drug testing. If your system has more medication than prescribed, they might think you’re abusing it. Too little medicine could suggest you’re selling or giving it away.
Drug Testing Is Permitted
You must agree to random drug testing. This part of the agreement helps ensure you are not misusing the drugs and confirms that only you use the medication. Tests measure drug amounts in your system.
Because prescription drug abuse is so prevalent today, doctors have to be extra careful. It’s not that they do not trust you or think that you are misusing your medication.
You must agree to random drug testing. This part of the agreement helps ensure you are not misusing the drugs and confirms that only you use the medication. Tests measure drug amounts in your system.
Additionally, these agreements often require you to attend all scheduled appointments, with limited cancellations allowed. This policy helps discourage skipping appointments to avoid drug tests.
Only One Pharmacy Is Allowed
You must fill all prescriptions at one pharmacy and agree to allow the doctor and pharmacist to share information about you. When people abuse drugs, they often try to get prescriptions from multiple doctors and then fill them at different pharmacies.
Today, many prescription systems are integrated into interconnected databases, making such practices harder. Consequently, if you sign an agreement with your physician, be sure you only use one pharmacy.
No Replacement Medication
You agree that lost, stolen, or destroyed medications will not be replaced, so safeguard your medications.
Ensure no one else can access them. Ideally, keep opioid medications under lock and key.
Some agreements may allow doctors to use discretion if you file a police report for stolen medication, but they’re not required to replace it. You may have to wait for your prescription to renew.
Prescriptions Come From One Provider
You agree not to request nor take pain medications from other healthcare providers. Even if you visit the dentist or the emergency room, these doctors cannot prescribe pain medications for you. And, if they do, you will be violating your pain management agreement.
Only your pain management doctor can prescribe pain medications. And pain management contracts typically require you to make all other healthcare providers aware of your agreement.
As a result, if other doctors want to prescribe medications for your injury or after oral surgery, they will need to go through your pain management doctor. Due to the drug tests you are taking, your pain management doctor will be able to tell if you have taken something that he has not prescribed. You don’t take medications prescribed by other physicians without talking with your pain management doctor first.
Major Concerns of Pain Management Contracts
Generally, doctors who use these contracts say they are an effective way to let patients know what to expect while under their care. They also believe the contracts let patients know how to use the medications safely, including how to store them at home. But critics of the agreements worry that the contracts undermine the patient-doctor relationship.
For instance, they are concerned that the contracts put those suffering from chronic pain at the provider’s mercy. They maintain that those with chronic pain are already vulnerable and that the agreement shifts the balance of power in favor of the doctor, leaving the patient disempowered and at risk.
Another concern is that the contracts are often worded in a way that is offensive to patients, which in turn creates animosity between the doctor and the patient. Meanwhile, some patients feel as though they were treated like they have a drug addiction despite the fact that they have always used their medications responsibly.
Precautionary Measures for Pain Management Agreements
If you are asked to sign a pain management agreement, it is essential that you understand every detail of what you are signing. This way, you will be able to abide by all the rules and stipulations spelled out in the contract. If you do not understand something, be sure to ask. Remember, failing to follow all the terms of the agreement can have dire consequences.
For instance, if you do not follow the agreement or do something that is forbidden, your doctor may refuse to prescribe any additional pain medications for you. You also could be dismissed as a patient.
If you are dismissed, finding another doctor to take you as a patient and treat your condition can be much harder.
Be sure you carefully read every word of the agreement before you sign it. Ask questions about anything that is unclear to you. Then, think about whether or not signing the agreement is the best option for you. And if you do agree to sign the contract, make sure you follow it word for word. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you can no longer get pain medications for your condition.
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