Research into how modern pain medicine clinics do business led to me discovering that a lot of clinics are now offering medication management as well. I was curious as to why, so I did some digging around. Needless to say, I learned some fascinating things about both pain management and medication management.
Both are on the menu at Utah’s KindlyMD. KindlyMD actually operates multiple clinics throughout the state. Their main focus is helping people deal with chronic conditions like pain and PTSD. Medication management and mental health services are also offered within an integrative healthcare setting.
What KindlyMD does exemplifies why medication management is so crucial to pain management. They offer a model that other clinics could follow.
Medication Is Only a Tool
Medication management’s foundation is the understanding that medication is only a tool. It is rarely a cure all by itself. As such, a patient might be using all sorts of medications to treat a variety of symptoms. Adding new medications to treat chronic pain or PTSD could result in unpleasant consequences.
In a pain management setting, one of the big challenges is managing chronic pain while limiting opioid therapies. Opioids do have legitimate uses for managing both chronic and acute pain. But opioids can also get out of hand very easily. Making sure that does not happen is one of the goals behind medication management applied to a chronic pain patient’s treatment plan.
The Primary Goals
According to my research, there are four primary goals behind applying medication management to chronic pain treatment. Here they are:
Limiting Dosage – Any medication used to manage chronic pain should be taken at the lowest possible dose. The idea is to utilize a dose that works but is not excessive. The least amount that produces the desired results is the best dose.
Minimizing Side Effects – All medications come with side effects to one degree or another. Medication management seeks to minimize those side effects. Otherwise, a patient’s quality of life could suffer.
Preventing Interactions – The risk of drug interactions is always present when a patient is using more than one medication. Through medication management, clinicians work with their patients to prevent negative interactions.
Preventing Tolerance and Addiction – Preventing tolerance and addiction is the fourth goal behind medication management. Tolerance makes medications less effective while addiction creates a whole new set of problems to deal with.
The medication management philosophy applies when a patient is using multiple prescription medications. But it also applies when OTC and plant-based medicines are in play. And given the fact that plant-based medicines are gaining traction as an alternative to prescription painkillers, it is important that pain management specialists pay close attention to medication management.
Patient Education and Monitoring
Medication management in a chronic pain setting is designed mainly to ensure that medications are being used properly and to maximum effect. But there are two other components: patient education and monitoring.
On the education side of things, patients need to know as much as possible about the medications they are taking. They need to understand what the medications do, how they help, and the risks and side effects involved.
As for monitoring, it is a big part of chronic pain management. Doctors and patients work together to monitor progress. Monitoring informs decisions about treatment plans and modifications.
I now understand why clinics like KindlyMD include medication management in an integrative approach to managing chronic pain. Managing medications keeps them in check so that they do not adversely impact a patient’s progress. Managing medications is one of the keys to helping patients feel better.
