Emergency Center leads effort to decrease pain killer abuse

From the Quincy Journal:

To educate patients, rules will soon be posted in the Blessing Hospital Emergency Center which includes the following:

• The Emergency Center does not routinely give narcotic pain medicine shots (injections) for acute episodes of chronic pain.
• After a medical evaluation is completed, Emergency Center doctors may elect not to prescribe narcotic pain medications for acute episodes of chronic pain.
• The Emergency Center does not refill stolen or lost prescriptions for narcotics or controlled substances.
• The Emergency Center does not provide missed doses of narcotic pain medications.
• After a medical evaluation is completed, Emergency Center doctors may elect not to prescribe long-acting or controlled-release opioids for chronic pain.
• The Emergency Center reserves the right to request a urine drug screen and to contact the patient’s doctor/doctors to discuss care and treatment while the patient is in the Emergency Department.