Pain Management
Medications are often used to address patient pain.
These may include opiates for acute pain, cancerrelated
pain, and, on occasion, chronic pain. However,
these drugs can be misused, and the ED is often
a pathway for patients seeking duplicate prescriptions
by complaining of migraines, back pain, or other
severe pain requiring a schedule drug. The most
recent Drug Abuse Warning Network data reported
that about half of ED visits for misuse or abuse of
pharmaceuticals involved pain relievers, and that
narcotic pain relievers, such as oxycodone and
hydrocodone products, were the most commonly
involved.13 In states that allow these prescribing
privileges, there is higher risk area for NPs, as
negligence claims associated with narcotics must be
reported to the BON, and diversion of prescription
opioids is a criminal act, which means that an
unsuspecting prescriber may be held criminally
accountable. Finally, patients high on drugs may
become combative, injuring themselves or
medical personnel.