Opioid prescribing pitfalls: medicolegal and regulatory issues.

Inappropriate opioid prescribing can lead to patient harm as well as a medicolegal risk to prescribers. Prescribers need to be familiar with the indications, contraindications and harms associated with opioids. When prescribing opioids, doctors must be aware of their clinical, ethical and legal responsibilities, particularly the legislative requirements in their state. Failure to comply with these can result in disciplinary action. To avoid potential conflict with differing state regulations on opioid prescribing, doctors should advise patients to get their prescription dispensed in the same state in which it was written.