Pain management policies shifting with wider recreational drug use

Editor's Note

The complexity of pain management has increased exponentially, thanks to widespread use of opioids and marijuana. The rising number of patients addicted to opioids has prompted new guidelines and regulations for pain management, and the legalization of marijuana in many states has raised the stakes for patient safety.

OR Manager Conference attendees got up to speed on new pain management guidelines from the Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Monday, September 17. John Rosing, MD, FACHE, executive vice president of Patton Healthcare Consulting and a leading expert on healthcare industry regulations, summarized the latest changes to help nurse leaders ensure compliance during his session, “Confronting the Opioid Crisis Head On: New TJC and CMS Standards.”

The potential for patients to be marijuana users makes it important for nurse leaders to be aware of recreational versus medicinal use and to understand how cannabis may interact with anesthetic agents. In a breakfast session on September 17, “It’s the 21^st Century: Making Marijuana Usage a Component of Your Patient Assessment,” attendees learned how to converse with patients about their drug use and what kinds of policies are needed to manage their treatment. The session was presented by Lois Schick, MN, MBA, RN, CPAN, CAPA, FASPAN, from Lutheran Medical Center.