New Patients
- We follow the guidelines set in place by the CDC and Oklahoma State Medical Board
- Opioids will not be prescribed on the first visit. An office visit will be dedicated to discussing risks and benefits of opioid therapy prior to any prescription being issued.
- A consent form will be reviewed
- An assessment to screen for patient-specific risk factors for addiction and abuse will be performed
- A urine drug test will be done
- A physician-patient contract will be signed
- PMP will be queried
- If a patient is already on opioids at a higher dose than recommended by the CDC we will recommend a taper
- We do not fill opioid prescriptions outside of regular office hours
- It is our goal to treat patients in the safest manner possible by taking these routine measures with all patients
Established Patients
- All patients on chronic opioid therapies will be given monthly prescriptions, at which time the PMP will be queried
- Patients must be seen at least every 3 months in person for a dedicated visit to address only chronic opioid therapy, including:
- an assessment for risk factors of addiction or abuse
- urine drug test
- PMP will be queried
- the patient will be offered a naloxone prescription
- ensuring that non-opioid therapies are maximized
- If the patient’s painful conditions are improving, a slow taper will occur
- We do not provide replacement prescriptions in the case of lost or damaged prescriptions
Disposal of Opioids
- The state of Oklahoma publishes recommendations on safely storing and disposing of opioids:
- Click here for a list of drop-boxes in Oklahoma
- Police departments and sherriff’s offices usually accept opioids or will direct you to a nearby drop-box location
- Before throwing away pill bottles, be sure and scratch off or mark through all information on the bottle