TY - JOUR
T1 - Opioid Prescription Denials by Community Pharmacies for Cancer-Related Pain
T2 - A Case Series
AU - Heung, Yvonne
AU - Clark, Matthew
AU - Tschanz, Jacqueline
AU - Bruera, Eduardo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - Pain is one of the most common symptoms experienced by patients living with cancer. Guidelines recommend opioids as the mainstay in the management of cancer-related pain. However, the opioid epidemic has resulted in policymakers recommending limitations on opioid prescribing which led to community pharmacies implementing various parameters. These restrictions have created barriers for patients with cancer-related pain attempting to fill opioid prescriptions from their community pharmacies. Additionally, in the setting of the opioid epidemic, there have been reports of systemic bias within community pharmacies, leading to experiences with embarrassment and shame for patients with cancer-related pain. This case series presents specific examples of community pharmacies declining to fill opioid prescriptions for patients with cancer-related pain and associated patient suffering.
AB - Pain is one of the most common symptoms experienced by patients living with cancer. Guidelines recommend opioids as the mainstay in the management of cancer-related pain. However, the opioid epidemic has resulted in policymakers recommending limitations on opioid prescribing which led to community pharmacies implementing various parameters. These restrictions have created barriers for patients with cancer-related pain attempting to fill opioid prescriptions from their community pharmacies. Additionally, in the setting of the opioid epidemic, there have been reports of systemic bias within community pharmacies, leading to experiences with embarrassment and shame for patients with cancer-related pain. This case series presents specific examples of community pharmacies declining to fill opioid prescriptions for patients with cancer-related pain and associated patient suffering.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85164322395&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.06.027
DO - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.06.027
M3 - Article
C2 - 37356595
AN - SCOPUS:85164322395
SN - 0885-3924
VL - 66
SP - e431-e435
JO - Journal of pain and symptom management
JF - Journal of pain and symptom management
IS - 3
ER -