American Pain Society's 27th Annual Scientific Meeting (May 8 – 10, 2008): Opiate Dosing Guidelines: Outrage or Imperative

This symposium and discussion will examine the development and implementation of the Washington state guideline, data concerning the risks and benefits of opiate therapy for chronic nonmalignant pain and the ethical implications of state or federal guidelines for pain therapy. The symposium will include 4 brief presentations (60 min) followed by a panel discussion with questions from the audience (30 min). Dr. Gary Franklin MD, MPH, Medical Director for the Department of Labor & Industries in the State of Washington will describe the guideline. Dr. Jane Ballantyne MD FRCA, Chief, Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital will briefly review the literature demonstrating risks and benefits of opiate therapy for chronic nonmalignant pain. Dr. Scott Fishman MD, Chief, Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at University of California, Davis and vice-chair of the American Pain Foundation will discuss the risks of opiate guidelines limiting optimal pain treatment. Dr. Mark Sullivan MD PhD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington and previous APS Ethics Committee Chairman will discuss the ethics of withholding opioid treatment and his data concerning undertreatment of pain comorbidities in opiate-treated patients.