Reasons for Prescription Monitoring

Why Monitor?

Responsibly monitoring patient medication compliance is a challenge, yet inappropriate use can be identified through urine drug testing.

• Patients who use drugs of abuse are more likely to abuse pain medications
• Patients may seek to divert medication for financial gain or to fund an addiction to legal or illegal drugs
• Patients who use drugs of abuse are at higher risk of combining such use with prescription medication, putting then at risk for overdoses and accidents

DEA Required - It's the Law

Established in 1973, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a United States Department of Justice agency tasked with combating drug smuggling use within the United States.

In the case of restricted pain medications, as defined by the DEA, patients should be monitored on a regular basis to ensure that:

• Patients are not using additional prescriptions, medications, or illicit drugs that may result in dangerous drug-to-drug interactions
• Patients are taking the required dose of the prescribed pain medication