Final answer:
Penalties for violating the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program are formal negative sanctions such as warning letters, fines, or license suspension and revocation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The penalties for violating the CS PMP (Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program) can be considered as formal negative sanctions. These sanctions are official methods used to enforce rules and punish noncompliance within a regulatory framework. The penalties can include actions such as a warning letter, which serves as an official notice of the infraction, a fine as a financial penalty for the violation, or more severe consequences like license suspension or revocation which means losing the professional licensure to practice in the field. A "pat on the back", by contrast, would be an example of an informal positive sanction, which is not applicable in this context of violations and penalties.
The penalties listed in the question, such as a warning letter, fine, license suspension or revocation, and a pat on the back, can be categorized as formal negative and positive sanctions depending on the consequences they impose.