The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) Board of Directors has responded to the epidemic of misuse and abuse of prescription drugs by establishing the Opioid Task Force, to give NCMS members a forum to address physician needs regarding patient prescribing and to address the rising numbers of opioid death rates in North Carolina. In addition, the NCMS has promoted the Controlled Substance Reporting System (CSRS) to its members and encouraged participation, provided CME education at the 2012 NCMS Annual Meeting on how prescribers can help mitigate this crisis and has publicized national prescription “Take Back” events sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
To continue to address this public health crisis, the NCMS is pleased to partner with the NC Medical Board and other health care organizations to present a “SCOPE (Safe and Competent Opioid Prescribing Education) of Pain” CME event on Friday, October 25, 2013, to be held in conjunction with the NCMS Annual Meeting and House of Delegates at the Raleigh Marriott. The program responds to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandate to manufacturers of extended release/long-acting (ER/LA) opioid analgesics to provide comprehensive prescriber education on the use of these medications. It also addresses key elements of the physician education component of the Obama Administration’s prescription drug abuse prevention plan on prescriber education released in April 2011.
“SCOPE of Pain” is designed to help physicians and other practitioners safely and competently manage patients with chronic pain. Through the case of Mary Williams, a 42-year-old with painful diabetic neuropathy and chronic low back pain, attendees will learn how to:
- Decide on appropriateness of opioid analgesics
- Assess for opioid misuse risk
- Counsel patients about opioid safety, risks and benefits
- Competently monitor patients prescribed opioids for benefit and harm
- Make decisions on continuing or discontinuing opioid analgesics, and
- Safely discontinue opioids when there is too little benefit or too much risk and harm.
Developed by the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), this program is funded by an unrestricted educational grant awarded by the manufacturers of ER/LA opioid analgesics. Mark your calendar for October 25, and watch upcoming issues of the Bulletin for details on the schedule, agenda and how to register for this session and for the NCMS Annual Meeting and House of Delegates.
