Meeting Physician Compliance Recommendations in the Management of Opioids in Chronic Pain: The Chronic Pain Management Registry (CPMR)

In a recent commentary in INNOVATIONS in Pharmacy, details were given on a recently released Chronic Pain Management Registry (CPMR). The CPMR was designed to provide a tracking and audit framework for evaluating claims made for therapy interventions in chronic pain management. At the same time, the CPMR was seen as a key element in monitoring physician and practice compliance with requirements for the prescribing of opioids and other scheduled substances. The purpose of the present commentary is to expand upon the role of the CPMR in the management of opioids in detailing the concordance of the CPMR data collection requirements with the latest recommendations of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) for responsible, safe and effective opioid prescribing in chronic non-cancer pain. Given ongoing concerns with opioid misuse and abuse, the opioid epidemic, physician practices are at risk for what may be judged as poor therapy decisions in evaluating medical necessity and a failure to monitor effectively response to therapy. Adoption of a platform such as the CPMR may, through providing a comprehensive evidence base and tracking capability, support more effective prescribing decisions and adherence to therapy. At the same time, the ability to justify decisions through a CPMR documentation audit may not only alleviate physician concerns if their decisions are challenged but also lead to improved outcomes in the treatment of chronic pain.