Do internal medicine residents find pain medication agreements useful?

Little is known about whether internal medicine residents find pain management agreements (PMAs) useful or whether PMA use is associated with more positive attitudes toward patients with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP).

We surveyed all internal medicine residents at Rhode Island Hospital regarding whether they found PMAs useful, what percentage of their patients taking chronic opioids had a signed PMA, and their attitudes toward and experiences with managing CNCP.

Survey response rate was 89% (110/124). Ninety percent of respondents reported finding PMAs useful. A majority of respondents reported that PMAs were at least somewhat helpful for reducing multiple prescribers (76%), reducing requests for early refills (67%), reducing calls and pages from patients (57%), making it easier to discuss potential problems associated with chronic opioid use (73%), and making it easier to identify patients who are abusing pain medications (66%). Residents who reported greater use of PMAs reported a greater sense of preparation (r=0.20, P=0.04), greater confidence (r=0.18, P=0.06), and a greater sense of reward (r=0.24, P=0.02) for managing CNCP. In a multivariate analysis, PMA use was significantly associated with greater sense of preparation and greater sense of reward for managing CNCP.

Among internal medicine residents, PMA use was associated with more positive attitudes toward CNCP management.