Do Hospital Policies to Deter Potential Drug Seekers Violate EMTALA?

Interesting issue brought to my attention by a reader in South Carolina. One of the hospitals in South Carolina wanted to post a sign in its emergency department waiting room stating the following: Prescribing Pain Medication in the Emergency Department Our Emergency Department staff understands that pain relief is important when one is hurt or needs emergency care. However, providing pain relief is often a complex issue, especially when pain is a chronic or recurrent process. Mistakes or misuses of pain medication can cause serious health problems and even death. Our Emergency Department will only provide pain relief options that are safe and appropriate. • The primary role of the Emergency Medicine provider is to look for and treat an emergency medical condition. We will use our best medical judgment when treating pain, following all legal and ethical guidelines. • You may be asked about a history of pain medication use, misuse, or substance abuse before prescribing any pain medication. • We may ask you to show a photo ID, such as a driver’s license, when you check into the Emergency Department or receive a prescription for pain medications. We may also research the statewide prescription data base regarding your prescription drug use. • We may only provide enough pain medication to last until you can contact your doctor. We will prescribe pain medications with a lower risk of addiction and/or overdose when possible.  For your safety, we do not: – Give pain me...
Source: WhiteCoat's Call Room - Category: Emergency Medicine Doctors Authors: Tags: EMTALA Source Type: blogs