Principles of Opioid Management of Pain

Principles of Opioid Management of Pain (full text) Joel Hochman, M.D. and the membership of the NFTP and the Pain Relief Network; TPPCD listServ; Summer 2006.

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Excerpt:
2. Standard pharmacological resources (such as the Physicians Desk Reference) should be utilized in the choice of initial doses… These standard resources do not reflect [individual] variations and are not the final word on dosing…

a. As no maximum dose or schedule exists for any opioid medication, the maximum dose or schedule utilized shall be determined only by clinical outcome…

c. Physiological dependency shall be carefully explained to patients and distinguished, in writing, from Addictive Disorders…

d. Pseudoaddiction, in which the patient seeks additional medication because they have not been prescribed sufficient medication to contain their pain, shall not be misidentified as addiction, and patients suffering this situation shall not be pejoratively labeled as ‘drug-seeking’.

See also:
Chronic Pain and Opioids - Debunking the Myths - Frank Fisher.

‘High Dosage’ Opioid Management - Considerations in Treating Intractable Pain - Joel Hochman, MD, Executive Director: National Foundation for the Treatment of Pain; Practical Pain Management; 5(2); page 39; March 2005. Posted 2005-04-09; Modified: 2006-09-01.

The Role of Opioids in Cancer Pain Management - M. Fukshansky, M. Are, A.W. Burton; Pain Practice, 5(1), page 43; 2005. Posted: 2005-11-27.

White Paper on Opioids and Pain: A Pan-European Challenge - compiled by OPEN Minds - Opioid and Pain European Network of Minds; 2005-06. Posted: 2005-06-22; Modified: 2005-09-01. 2005.

Chronic Pain: I - A New Disease? ; II - The Case for Opiates - Daniel Brookoff; Hospital Practice; 35(7), page 45 / 35(9), page 69; 2000. Posted: 2003-11-16; Modified: 2006-06-25.

Related resources:
Pain and Opioid Therapy archives

War on Docs Academic, Legal, Official archives

Drug War Journalism and Advocacy archives

WAR ON PAIN SUFFERERS Special Collections - Introduction and Table of Contents

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