Medication Quantification Scale Version III: Internal Validation of Detriment Weights Using a Chronic Pain Population

Abstract

Our chronic pain sample-derived detriment weights did differ in some drug classes from that of the physician consensus, most notably the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, Opioid Schedule II, and NSAID class detriment. It is necessary to periodically resurvey large groups of physicians in order to control and modify the detriment weights of our categories in light of new information about detrimental effects (eg, COX-2 inhibitors), or to accommodate medical or political changes in prescribing habits (eg, more liberal opioid prescribing in the later years). This work suggests it may also be important to assess patients' perspective on detriment, as well as statistical and empiric use patterns.