Groups address policies for prescribing pain medications

The Drug Enforcement Agency, Last Acts Partnership, and the Pain & Policy Studies Group at the University of Wisconsin have issued a guidance document to address clinical and regulatory issues involving the prescription of controlled substances to treat pain.

The guidance contains frequently asked questions and answers for health care providers and law enforcement officials. It is a follow-up to a consensus statement on "Promoting Pain Relief and Preventing Abuse of Pain Medications: A Critical Balancing Act," issued by the three groups in 2001.

For more information, visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/faq.