Medical Societies Offer Guidelines on Controlled Substance Prescribing

“Tip Sheet on Prescribing for Controlled Substances in Long Term Care,” is the result of a collaboration between the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), AMDA-Dedicated to Long Term Care Medicine, The American Medical Association (AMA), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), and offers members tips and advice in an effort to avoid prescription drug misuse and abuse.

The tip sheet was created to help physicians and other prescribers ensure that they comply with recent DEA enforcement actions and meet the regulations in prescribing controlled substances to residents in long term care.

Among the items stressed in the sheet is the requirement that a prescriber write the prescription him or herself. Additionally, the sheet offers suggestions of ways the prescribers can expedite filling controlled-substance prescriptions, such as by carrying a prescription pad that meets state requirements, knowing legal requirements for each controlled-substance prescription, writing a prescription at a facility that has a fax for post-business hours, and more.

Many of the organizations will be disseminating the tip sheet via their websites.