The use of prescription narcotics is growing and with increased use, so too are overdoses and deaths linked to narcotic medications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 44 people die each day in the United States from prescription pain medication overdoses.
Emergency departments across the county are a major source of narcotic prescriptions.
Emergency department physicians must balance the patient’s need for pain relief without creating or worsening any dependencies on pain medication, Halifax Regional said.
Taking a pain as the fifth vital sign approach, each patient received in the emergency department will be assessed for pain.
In developing its new pain management policy, Halifax Regional will follow recommendations set forth by the Joint Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Key elements of the new pain management policy will include:
Emergency department providers are not able to administer narcotics or certain sedatives to treat certain chronic conditions.
Emergency department is not able to refill prescriptions for controlled substances, including lost or expired medications.
By law, the emergency department is not able to prescribe Methadone or Buprenorphine (Suboxone) for patients in a Methadone treatment program.
The emergency department routinely accesses the Drug Enforcement Administration website and the Department of Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. This is done to document prescription history and to protect patients from potential for overdose, fraud, or identity theft.
“Our emergency department physicians are focused on promoting safe, responsible prescribing practices that are in the best interest of our patients and the community,” the statement said. “Patients who present to the Halifax Regional Emergency Department suffering from chronic pain conditions will receive non-narcotic pain medications as temporary treatment until the patient can follow-up with their primary care physician. It is important for all patients to work directly with their primary care provider or pain management specialist to identify causes and treatment of chronic pain.”
Halifax Regional said it understands there is a delicate balance of responsibilities “as we seek to relieve patients of their pain while treating pain responsibly to avoid the dangerous side effects and the potential risks of addiction that narcotic medications can cause.
“The medical center asks for the community’s continued support during this transition to safer, more responsible pain management practices.”
