Monitoring Drug Use and Abuse: The Evolution of a Paradigm

Abstract

Contrary to reports in the popular media that tend to focus solely on the recent problems of prescription drug abuse, our country faces two, not one, worrisome public health crises. The first is the problem of poorly treated chronic pain, and the second is the problem of prescription drug abuse. Pain clinicians do not have the luxury of focusing on only one of these two and instead have to attempt to find a balance in their practice that allows them to treat pain with controlled substances as needed and take reasonable steps to prevent drug abuse and diversion.