Ohio Offers Online Training for New Acute Pain Opioid Prescribing Guidelines

(June 23, 2016) The Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team (GCOAT) issued new opioid prescribing guidelines earlier this year for the management of acute pain outside emergency departments and acute care facilities. The new guidelines are designed to help fight prescription drug abuse along with previously-released opioid prescribing guidelines for emergency departments and acute care settings, and for the management of patients with chronic pain.

Prescribers recently received an e-mail from GCOAT asking them to complete an online training module regarding the new acute pain prescribing guidelines. The training module contains a three-question introductory quiz to gauge prescribers’ “pre-training” knowledge of the new acute pain prescribing guidelines; a 10-minute training video summarizing the new guidelines; and a brief conclusion quiz to gauge how prescribers plan to adjust their acute opioid prescribing practices.

The pre- and post-training quizzes are intended only to gauge the effectiveness of the training video and will not be used for any other purpose.

“Because of the support of prescribers, Ohio has seen some promising trends in opioid prescribing,” said OOA President Geraldine N. Urse, DO. “There were 92 million fewer opioid doses prescribed to Ohio patients in 2015 compared to 2012 – and fewer doses means fewer opioids that might be redirected for abuse." Urse also noted the number of people "doctor-shopping" for controlled substances as identified through the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS) has decreased 71 percent since 2010.

Several members of the osteopathic profession have worked closely with state policymakers to address the epidemic including State Rep. Terry Johnson, DO; Cynthia S. Kelley, DO, of Akron; Cleanne Cass, DO, of Dayton; R. Aaron Adams, DO, of Portsmouth; Mark N. Malinowski, DO, of Chillicothe; and Executive Director Jon F. Wills. Kelley, Cass, and Malinowski helped write the latest guidelines, which specifically mention osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine as an alternative to opioids.

Read more about the new guidelines in Buckeye Osteopathic Physician, Spring 2016 issue.

For more information, contact Atlantic Health Partners' Cindy Berenson or Jeff Winokur at 800-741-2044 or info@atlantichealthpartners.com.
For more information, contact Atlantic Health Partners' Cindy Berenson or Jeff Winokur at 800-741-2044 or info@atlantichealthpartners.com.

Printer-Friendly Version