On That Business Show with Jamie Meloni, Dr. Maulik Bhalani, Founder and CEO of Florida Pain Medicine, discussed his company and the stigma “pill mills” have put on the Florida medical industry. Dr. Bhalani and Florida Pain Medicine are dedicated to legitimizing pain practice in the state of Florida.
The attention given to pain practice and pain physicians has often been cast in a negative light. This could stem from the fact that numerous pill mills throughout the state of Florida have been ran by business owners, non-clinical professionals, and sometimes high school students. As a member of the Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, Dr. Bhalani’s primary concern is patient health, which is why Florida Pain Medicine is thriving under the revamped pain clinic regulations.
“What a pill mill was basically a physician seeing patients for cash,” said Dr. Bhalani. “[Florida] became the epicenter of the pain epidemic that existed in this country.” Patients would travel from different areas of the country because pain clinics were able to dispense pain medications out of these “pill mill” practices. With many of these clinics being operated by non-physicians, more people were dying of opiate overdoses than motor vehicle accidents in the state of Florida.
Today, Dr. Bhalani sees that the end-result of pain treatments is making a shift. Industry leaders today are learning that the primary focus for patient care is not opiate prescriptions, but rather getting patients back to functioning properly and enjoying life with loved ones. Florida Pain Medicine combines medicine with other modalities such as procedures, physical therapy, bracing, surgical, or other options to determine the best care for a patient’s condition.
“The whole spectrum of pain management is changing more and more as patients find out what is more of a legitimate pain physician,” states Dr. Bhalani. “Community patients… take our word for what’s actually happening.”
The registered pain clinic numbers have reduced since increased regulation from around 240 to 109. Industry professionals such as Dr. Bhalani as well as the state of Florida recognize the epidemic that is opiate abuse, and have made it their mission to operate their business on behalf of the patient.
Florida Pain Medicine focuses on and implements a multi-disciplinary approach to treat your pain with the latest technological advancements including interventional pain procedures, physical therapy prescriptions, modalities such as TENS unit or ultrasound therapy, and pain medication management.
