Certified Pain Management Clinics
Recently, the Texas Medical Board (TMB) and Texas State Board of Pharmacy have received
numerous questions regarding the certification of pain management clinics. Some pharmacists
assume that after September 1, 2010, a physician must be certified before prescribing pain
management drugs. This is NOT the case.
Pharmacists are required to assess each individual prescription and determine if it has been
issued for a legitimate medical purpose. The fact that a physician who issues the prescription
works in a certified pain management clinic does not automatically make the prescription valid
or relieve a pharmacist of the responsibility to determine that the prescription is valid and has
been issued for a legitimate medical purpose. The requirements for the certification of pain
management clinics are as follows:
A pain management clinic is defined in §167.001 of the Texas Medical Practices Act as a
publicly or privately owned facility for which a majority of patients are issued on a monthly basis,
prescriptions for opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or carisoprodol, but not suboxone.
The physician owner/operator of a pain management clinic must register with the TMB.
Certificates are not transferable or assignable. Only the primary physician owner is required to
register with the board if there is more than one physician owner of the clinic. Each clinic
requires a separate certificate.
A pain management clinic may not operate in Texas unless the clinic is owned and operated by
a medical director who:
• is a physician who practices in Texas
• has an unrestricted medical license