American Pain Society, American Academy of Pain Medicine, and Janssen Pharm, 1999. Bernabei and others, JAMA, June 17, 1998. Aggressive prevention of pain is better than PRN treatment because, once established, pain is more difficult to suppress.
Patients have right to prevention of or adequate relief from pain.
Physicians need to develop pain control plans before surgery and inform patient about pain during and after surgery. Fears of postsurgical addiction to opioids are generally groundless. Patient-controlled medication via infusion pumps is safe. Schedule II prescriptions cannot be refilled. Pain control must be based on scientific facts, not on personal beliefs or opinions.