State Policies Regulating the Practice of Pain Management: Statutes, Rules, and Guidelines That Shape Pain Care.

In response to increased awareness of prescription opioid misuse, abuse, addiction, diversion, and overdose, states have promulgated a large number of public policies intended to regulate the practice of pain medicine. Nearly every state now has at least 1 type of policy; others only provide recommendations to physicians. This article reviews the existing policies and extracts specific provisions within each of them. Although there are many similarities across policies, unique features are found in some and are specifically reviewed. This review can serve as a quick reference for policymakers and as a guide for researchers interested in the impacts of such policies.