OSMA's Efforts on Pain Prescribing Educational Initiatives

The OSMA has been actively involved in the Governor’s Opiate Action Team efforts on professional education. Our members helped initiate the clinical guidelines for prescribing controlled substances in emergency departments and other acute care facilities and continue to be involved with the discussions around establishing clinical “triggers” as to when a physician should re-evaluate a pain on chronic pain medications.

The OSMA is preparing a series of programs around Ohio on prescribing controlled substances during a prescription drug abuse epidemic, which begin on Aug. 23 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Toledo and Aug. 30 at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati.

The goal is to provide clinical education to physicians who treat chronic pain patients as to the appropriate prescribing practices when utilizing opioids and other controlled substances for treatment. It will also have sessions on how to identify and confront potential abuse and diversion in your patients and what to do about it.

Click here to register for the Toledo event and here to register for the Cincinnati event. Other sessions across the state are currently being planned. We will communicate that information when it becomes available.

In addition to the regional pain programs, the OSMA also produced a video in conjunction with Janssen Pharmaceuticals on the changes to Ohio’s prescribing laws as a result of HB 93.

The 22-minute video is a concise summary of the prescription drug abuse epidemic facing our state and the Legislature’s first step in trying to combat the problem. To view the program, click here and enter Meeting Code: SCHEDULE.

Want to continue the discussion on the OSMA Community? Click here to post your thoughts and connect with your peers on the OSMA’s member-only forum.