A doctor would have no need/use for your fingerprint; the government would, and government interference in doctor/patient confidentiality, and/or legislating medicine is a big part of the politics of pain. The practice of medicine should be left to doctors - not the government.

More and more pain doctors and clinics are requiring monthly blood tests to insure compliance. Personally, I think that's presumption of guilt. An initial test, or one if a doctor has reason to be suspicious is one thing; blanket testing is another, like blanket drug-testing school kids. There's too much room for error, and not enough for appeal in the event of an erroneous test; the attached stigma is always following a person around. It's also expensive.

The problem, as with other illegal drugs, guns, (and I just forgot the third thing I was thinking of) is not the legitimate patients - it's the criminals, and penalizing doctors and pain patients is not going to solve that problem; they will obtain their fix via other channels as they have always done. Pain patients trying to obtain medicine because they are inadequately treated are not criminals, and need to be treated differently than those abusing drugs (some of which are criminals, and some of which are not).

I apologize for getting into this. This is what pain awareness month (September every year) is/should be about. IMO, every pain patient should be familiar with Definitions Related to the Use of Opioids for the Treatment of Pain
http://www.partnersagainstpain.com/p...ts/A7012R9.pdf
and with what the politics of pain are all about, and how it may/will affect them personally.
http://www.aapsonline.org/painman/pbmaterials.htm

I'll (try to) shut up now,

Doc