Government has the responsibility for determining that prescription medications are safe and effective; it also must take steps to assure those medications are not abused or diverted for illegal purposes. These two regulatory roles are not always well balanced, and very often, concerns over criminal use of controlled substances have won out over availability for legitimate uses.
Laws related to ordering and record keeping with regard to opioids, such as multiple-copy prescription programs, can be burdensome to physicians who wish to prescribe them, and that may inhibit prescribers from choosing opioids to manage their patients' pain. Similarly, regulations and enforcement actions raise fears of license suspension or even criminal sanctions, and have discouraged physicians, pharmacists and others from prescribing, stocking and dispensing needed medications.
Michigan, however, is one of only four states that were given an A grade by the Pain& Policy Studies Group in 2007. These states were said to have "the most balanced pain policies in the country." Michigan's Official Prescription Program has been replaced by MAPS – the Michigan Automated Prescription System – an electronic reporting system that has resulted in an increase in prescriptions for Schedule 2 controlled substances with no apparent increase in diversion. Legislation amending Michigan's Public Health Code has liberalized certain restrictions on prescribing to reflect the goals of effective pain management; mandated increased professional and public education measures; and stated strong support for the appropriate use of controlled substances in the medical treatment of pain.