Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances for Pain November 14, 2014 General Consumer Protection, Pain Guidelines, Prescribing Controlled Substances 0 News Release Thursday, November 13, 2014 Contact: Cassandra Hockenson Medical Board of California (916) 263-2394 Medical Board of California's Revised Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances for Pain Sacramento - The Medical Board of California (Board) announces its release of its revised Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances for Pain (Guidelines). These Guidelines were approved by the Board at its quarterly Board Meeting on October 24, 2014. The Board recognizes that the inappropriate prescribing of controlled substances, including opioids, is a consumer protection issue, and the Board takes this matter very seriously. The Board is aware that some physicians do not appropriately prescribe controlled substances due to a lack of knowledge and available resources. The revised Guidelines will provide physicians with guidance, useful tools, and links to useful information as they prescribe controlled substances for pain. These resources will assist and educate physicians by helping them understand pain and the various treatment considerations for differing patient populations or scenarios. The Board hopes the revised Guidelines will help to improve the outcomes of patient care and will help to prevent overdose deaths and injury due to opioid use. These Guidelines are not intended to mandate the standard of care, but to assist and guide physicians by educating them and providing resources to assist them as they prescribe controlled substances for pain. The revised Guidelines are available on the Board's website at the following link: www.mbc.ca.gov/Licensees/Prescribing/Pain_Guidelines.pdf Comments are closed.
