Evidence status: PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE STILL PUBLICLY POSTED; ORIGINAL STATEMENT REVISED 2005. The Connecticut Medical Examining Board continues to make available its Statement on the Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain. The statement predates the current 12-week statute and must be treated as professional guidance rather than the source of today’s legal mandate.
Board position on pain treatment
The statement recognizes undertreatment and nontreatment of pain as forms of inappropriate care and affirms that controlled substances, including opioid analgesics, may be used for legitimate medical purposes when consistent with applicable law and standards of care.
Agreement guidance for higher-risk patients
The Board states that if a patient is at high risk for medication abuse or has a history of substance abuse, the physician should consider a written agreement outlining responsibilities such as requested urine or serum monitoring, refill frequency, and reasons drug therapy may be discontinued.
One physician and pharmacy language
The Board guidance says patients should receive prescriptions from one physician and one pharmacy whenever possible. That is professional guidance, not a requirement written into CGS §20-14s.
Periodic review
The Board calls for periodic review of treatment objectives and patient function. Continued controlled-substance treatment should depend on progress toward treatment goals, and unsatisfactory progress should trigger reassessment of the plan and consideration of other modalities.
Why this record matters
The Board’s older guidance helps explain the professional-policy background that preceded the 2019 statute. It should not be used to convert advisory language into statutory treatment-agreement terms.
Source
Reviewed: October 4, 2026.
Evidence boundary: This is professional guidance with an older revision date, not the statute that creates the current 12-week agreement/care-plan requirement.