Controlled Substance Policy

New Patient Information - Chronic Opioid and Controlled Substances

For your protection, GreenField Health follows state and local prescribing guidelines for safely prescribing controlled substance medications (opiates,  benzodiazepines and stimulants):

• Controlled substance medications will not be prescribed at the first clinic visit.
• Your previous medical records must be received and reviewed prior to the prescription of controlled substances.
• Medical records must be sent directly from your previous clinic to GreenField via fax or electronically (hand carried copies are not acceptable).
• If you currently take a daily opiate, benzodiazepine or stimulant medication you can request a “bridge” prescription from your previous prescribing clinician until your assessment is complete.
• GreenField clinicians will not prescribe chronic opioid medications above 90 MED (“daily morphine equivalence dose”) for non-cancer related pain. If you are on a chronic opiate dose higher than this you will need to taper down before establishing care with GreenField (your previous prescriber can help you with this taper).
• To determine if chronic opiate use for non-cancer pain is appropriate, your assessment at GreenField will include a review of previous records and may include the administration of questionnaires regarding functional level, depression, anxiety, addiction risk and sleep quality. This information will be used to determine if continuation of chronic opiates is medically indicated. We may determine that chronic opioid therapy is not indicated.
• A Controlled Substance Agreement, which allows for random urine drug screening, must be signed before the prescription of controlled substances by GreenField clinicians.