How do you handle situations where patients are in chronic pain and request additional pain medication?

Well, by the time this request happens I most likely read about his previous diagnosis, comorbidities, past medical history etc. Educating myself about this patient will place myself with the tools I will need to either advocate for a revision of his/her pain management plan or perhaps look for alternative ways to relieve the pain, or perhaps non-opioids to address his needs. VS will play an important role here. If VS are abnormal I would call the pain management team and ask for a revision, better coverage for the pain, on the other end, if VS are within normal range for the patient, and there’s past history of opioid abuse, I would ask if team would be comfortable adding a non- opioid adjuvant therapy. I would also try to find out if patient is comfortable to try getting a therapeutic massage, I would try my best to divert his or her attention away from the pain, without ignoring it or disregard what patient is feeling.