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AIT offers compliance testing for primary care and family practice physicians managing patients on scheduled medications

Moderate to severe pain is one of the most common reasons for primary care visits in the United States^1,2. In addition, 59% of U.S. mental health drug prescriptions are written by family doctors, not psychiatrists³. And while a specialist may determine the initial course of treatment for a patient suffering from chronic pain or dealing with a mental health issue, oftentimes it is the primary care or family practice physician who is responsible for making subsequent treatment decisions, maintaining the therapeutic regimen, and renewing prescriptions as needed.

• Prevent unwanted outcomes resulting from chronic pain or other treatments – including harmful drug interactions, drug abuse, and diversion
• Mitigate your practice’s legal liability; drug diversion by the patient is cited as the number one source of illicit prescription drugs⁴ 

To illustrate this point, the Kate Ireland Healthcare Center in Manchester, Kentucky, treats numerous patients for chronic pain conditions despite being a primary care practice. Over an eleven-quarter timeframe of testing with AIT, the center experienced the following:

• Abuse of non-prescribed drugs declined from 57.8% in quarter one to 25.9% in quarter eleven
• Illicit drug abuse decreased from 13.3% in quarter one to 2.5% in quarter eleven

Measurable difference

AIT can help you to make a measurable difference in your practice. We were one of the first toxicology laboratories in the country to develop a prescription drug monitoring and narcotics testing program specifically for healthcare practitioners.

• AIT provides a wide range of compliance monitoring solutions. Our DetectiMed^® Panel for prescription and narcotic drug testing has been designed to detect the 40 drugs/substances most likely to be abused; it provides a comprehensive view of patient compliance with prescribed therapies and is ideal for compliance monitoring
• Results can be available in as little as 48 hours, allowing for rapid assessment of results, and reports can be securely obtained online 
• Full-time, expert toxicologists stand by ready to consult with you on interpretation of test results, drug interactions, and more

For more information about how compliance monitoring can be an effective part of your risk mitigation strategy, read our expert article published in Practical Pain Management.

Learn More

AIT wants to be your partner in monitoring patient compliance. For more information about AIT’s prescription drug testing services for compliance testing, contact our Client Services Department.

References 

1. McCarberg BH, Nicholson BD, Todd KH, Palmer T, Penles L. The impact of pain on quality of life and the unmet needs of pain management: Results from pain sufferers and physicians participating in an Internet survey. Am J Ther. 2008; 15:312-320. Abstract.
2. Cherry DK, Hing E, Woodwell DA, Rechtsteiner EA. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 summary. Natl Health Stat Report. 2008:6:1-39. Abstract.
3. Morgan, David. "U.S. Family Doctors Prescribe Most Mental Health Drugs." Reuters.com | Busines & Financial News. 30 Sept. 2009. Web. 01 Mar. 2011.  <http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/30/us-drugs-mental-idUSTRE58T0NE20090930>.
4.  Inciardi JA. "Prescription Opioid Abuse and Diversion in an Urban Community: The Results of an Ultrarapid Assessment." Pain Medicine 10 (2009): 537-48.