Aberrant drug-taking behaviors and headache: patient versus physician report.
OBJECTIVE
To explore prevalence of aberrant medication-taking behaviors (AMTB) among headache patients and treating physician's awareness of such behaviors.


METHODS
Fifty patientphysician dyads were surveyed on patients' AMTB.


RESULTS
The most frequently endorsed behaviors by patients and physicians, respectively, were going to the ER for pain medication (n = 19) and continuing to take pain medication despite minimal relief (n = 23). For the majority of AMTB, phi coefficients indicating level of patient-physician agreement were equal to chance.


CONCLUSIONS
Headache patients perform a wide range of AMTB. Low rates of patient-physician agreement indicate that physicians possess limited knowledge of patients' AMTB.
Weaver
Michael F
MF
Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. mfweaver@vcu.edu
Bond
Dale S
DS
Arnold
Brent L
BL
Waterhouse
Elizabeth
E
Towne
Alan
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology; D003142:Communication; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D005260:Female; D051270:Headache Disorders, Primary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid