A 10-year study of more than 800 million opioid prescriptions in the United States determined that nearly 30 percent failed to list a medical reason for proscribing opioids.
The study, reported in the Journal Annals of Internal Medicine, reports that doctors failed to list a medical reason, such as severe or chronic pain, for proscribing the addictive medication.
Researchers said some doctors may have simply been in a hurry or didn’t take adequate notes during the patient visit.
Researchers also found that despite new guidelines, some physicians were lax about documenting reasons for continuing chronic opioid prescription, which might raise concerns about addiction.
