News
Chronic pain affects at least 50 million Americans. And, 20 million of these people live with pain that is debilitating or causes loss of function, leading to a decreased quality of life. The theme for the 2021 Pain Awareness Month is #paincounts and is aimed at highlighting the devastating effect that pain has on real people. (US Pain Foundation)
At DRUGSCAN, we are acutely aware of this impact – partnering with pain management providers throughout the country to help ensure that prescribed treatments are taken responsibly by the patients they care for. By providing toxicology screening expertise that providers can rely on, DRUGSCAN delivers valuable insights for providers, helping them to take a proactive approach to patient safety for those suffering from chronic pain.
Chronic pain is pain that persists daily for six months or longer. It can have many underlying causes including disease, trauma, injury, illness and others. Many patients suffering with chronic pain have no clear medical explanation for their pain, making it difficult to find the best course of treatment. Further, many patients have complex pain conditions coupled with additional comorbid conditions that make treatment additionally challenging.
There are many pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities available to manage pain. While nonpharmacologic efforts are usually considered first-line care, there are many instances of pain, especially chronic pain that require medication management. In many cases, patients require chronic opioid therapy to manage their pain to a level that allows for an enhanced quality of life and increased functioning.
By partnering with organizations like DRUGSCAN for regular toxicology screening, providers can immediately be aware of signs of medication misuse and can intervene faster, preventing continued misuse and the progression toward substance use disorder. We provide valuable insights regarding patient medication use, allowing for early detection of misuse, early intervention and better patient outcomes.
Pain Awareness month is acknowledged as a way to raise public awareness around pain and address the importance of individualized, multidisciplinary, and multimodal approaches to pain management in an effort to achieve the best possible outcomes.
“Few things a doctor does are more important than relieving pain…Pain is soul destroying. No patient should have to endure intense pain unnecessarily. The quality of mercy is essential to the practice of medicine; here, of all places, it should not be strained”. –Marcia Angell