18 Va. Admin. Code § 85-21-100

Current through Register Vol. 41, No. 8, December 2, 2024

Section 18VAC85-21-100 - [Effective 1/2/2025] Opioid therapy for chronic pain

A. The practitioner shall review the course of pain treatment and any new information about the etiology of the pain and the patient's state of health at least every three months.

B. Continuation of treatment with opioids shall be supported by documentation of continued benefit from such prescribing. If the patient's progress is unsatisfactory, the practitioner shall assess the appropriateness of continued use of the current treatment plan and consider the use of other therapeutic modalities.

C. If the treatment plan includes opioid tapering, the taper rate shall be individualized based on the patient's clinical situation. A practitioner should not abruptly stop opioid treatment without tapering unless the prescriber documents extenuating circumstances.

D. The practitioner shall check the Prescription Monitoring Program at least every three months after the initiation of treatment.

E. The practitioner shall order and review a urine drug screen or serum medication levels at the initiation of chronic pain management and thereafter randomly at the discretion of the practitioner but at least once a year.

F. The practitioner shall (i) regularly evaluate the patient for opioid use disorder and (ii) initiate specific treatment for opioid use disorder, consult with an appropriate health care provider, or refer the patient for evaluation for treatment if indicated.

18 Va. Admin. Code § 85-21-100

Derived From Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 23, eff. 8/8/2018; Amended, Virginia Register Volume 41, Issue 7, eff. 1/2/2025.

Statutory Authority: §§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2928.2 of the Code of Virginia.