Determining appropriate treatment plans

There are cases in which opioids might be the best treatment for an injured worker. But physicians need to be able to tell whether a treatment is working and use the right yardstick.

"The real test is whether the treatment relieves symptoms enough so the patient can get their life back to normal," said Dr. Jennifer Christian, founder of the Maze-Masters Program and president of Webility Corporation. "It's not doing what it's supposed to if the patient is not resuming their everyday activities, roles, and responsibilities. Studies have shown that other treatments often work better than long-term opioids at relieving pain and restoring the quality of everyday life."

August 20, 2012

CWCI: Compound drugs are more potent, costly (03/11/13)
State legislators to address controversial meds in workers' comp (03/04/13)
NCCI: Physician dispensing on the rise in most states (10/06/11)
Florida Legislature targets repackaged drug costs (01/30/12)
Workers' comp physicians not following guidelines for opioid use, study shows (10/25/12)

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