"The AMA [American Medical Association] supports the position that:
"1. physicians who appropriately prescribe and/or administer controlled substances to relieve intractable pain should not be subject to the burdens of excessive regulatory scrutiny, inappropriate disciplinary action, or criminal prosecution. It is the policy of the AMA that state medical societies and boards of medicine develop or adopt mutually acceptable guidelines protecting physicians who appropriately prescribe and/or administer controlled substances to relieve intractable pain before seeking the implementation of legislation to provide that protection;
"2. education of medical students and physicians to recognize addictive disorders in patients, minimize diversion of opioid preparations, and appropriately treat or refer patients with such disorders; and
"3. the prevention and treatment of pain disorders through aggressive and appropriate means, including the continued education of physicians in the use of opioid preparations."
American Medical Association, "About the AMA Position on Pain Management Using Opioid Analgesics," 2004.
Note: This report no longer available on the AMA's website, however its content is discussed in "California law eases threat to pain medication prescribers," American Medical News, Sept. 13, 2004.
http://www.amednews.com/artic…
