@article{ref1,
title="Alleged medical abandonment in chronic opioid analgesic therapy: case report",
journal="Pain medicine",
year="2009",
author="Fishbain, David A. and Lewis, John E. and Gao, Jinrun and Cole, Brandly and Rosomoff, Rennee Steele",
volume="10",
number="4",
pages="722-729",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this medicolegal case report were the following: 1) present details of a chronic pain patient (CPP) on chronic opioid analgesic therapy (COAT), who diverted her opioids and was terminated from treatment, and subsequently committed suicide; 2) present both the plaintiff's and defendant's (the COAT prescriber) expert witnesses' opinions as to the allegation of medical abandonment of this patient and other allegations; and 3) based on these opinions, to develop some recommendations as to how pain physicians can minimize their medicolegal risk when termination of the physician-patient relationship is warranted. METHODS: This is a case report of a CPP treated by a pain physician who demonstrated aberrant drug-related behaviors and required large doses of controlled-release oxycodone. RESULTS: Differences between the plaintiff's and defendant's experts' opinions are presented by utilizing the COAT literature. Options for avoiding allegations of abandonment are proposed. CONCLUSIONS: To avoid and protect themselves against potential abandonment allegations when termination of the physician-patient relationship is warranted, physicians are advised to consider following the outlined procedures.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1526-2375",
doi="10.1111/j.1526-4637.2009.00620.x",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4637.2009.00620.x"
}