The Minnesota Prescription Monitoring Program.

We must keep in mind that health care professionals practice in an environment of legal and regulatory influences, where some patients with pain also have an addictive disease. As dentists routinely manage acute oral and dental pain by pharmacological means, people who abuse prescription medications see dentists as easy targets to "score" prescription opioids and controlled substances. This potential for deception must be balanced with our professional responsibility to prescribe and dispense controlled substances appropriately, guarding against abuse while ensuring that patients have medication available when appropriate and necessary. However, dentists also have a personal responsibility to protect themselves and their practices from becoming easy targets for drug abuse and diversion. Becoming aware of the potential signs and symptoms of drug seeking behavior and recognizing the signs of controlled substance misuse will safeguard patients, practices, and practitioners. Utilizing the services of the Minnesota Prescription Monitoring Program may help to not only improve patient care, but to facilitate appropriate pain management and help identify patients having drug seeking behaviors