Two New Resources to Curb Prescription Drug Abuse
Two New Resources to Curb Prescription Drug Abuse
Medscape: Can you also tell us about the PCSS-O project?
Dr. McCance-Katz: The PCSS-O developed out of concern on the part of the federal government, both the Office of National Drug Control Policy and SAMHSA, about the rising adverse events, toxicities, and deaths associated with opioid misuse. The program is aimed both at clinicians currently prescribing opioid medications -- be it for the treatment of addiction or be it for the treatment of pain -- and at prescribers-to-be. We perform outreach to residents and medical students as well.
The recently launched Website includes our mentoring system (which can be found under the "Professional Peer Support" tab on the homepage). We've approved the first group of mentors and are currently looking for additional mentor candidates. Those with experience in safe and effective opioid prescribing, either for pain treatment or for treatment of opioid dependence, are welcome to apply to become a mentor.
Mentors vary in terms of areas of expertise and currently do include those with interests in both pain management and addiction, and I hope that some reading this article will consider becoming part of our program as mentors. I also hope that physicians seeking some collegial input in their practice that includes opioid prescribing will go on to our Website and request a mentor.
Medscape:What training resources are currently available?
Dr. McCance-Katz: We have several different types of training opportunities available for people. We hope that they will use what works best for them. Many online modules are available that readers can access on our Website (under the tab "Educational and Training Resources") that will help prescribers think about various issues in the prescribing of opioid medications. There's also a module on general screening for substance use disorders and pharmacotherapies for substance use disorders.
We have a very nice system that we developed for PCSS-O in which, when people finish a module, they are directed to a satisfaction survey. Once completed, they receive a certificate of completion for that module. We hope to be able to provide continuing medical education credit for these activities going forward.
We also have similar Webinar resources developed in collaboration with our various partners, AAAP as the lead organization, with the American Psychiatric Association, the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine, the American Medical Association, the American Dental Association, the International Nurses Society on Addictions and the American Society for Pain Management Nursing. They all provide Webinars covering topics of interest in this field and of interest to their constituencies.
In addition, we have Experts of the Month, who have given a Webinar or developed an online module and agree to facilitate a listserv that people can sign up for and ask questions about that expert's area of specialty. The listserv just launched, and Roger Chou, MD, lead author on the Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Chronic Opioid Therapy in Chronic Noncancer Pain, is our first Expert of the Month. Thus far, we have had an interesting discussion of several issues in chronic pain management, and I expect this to become a popular part of our program.
So, as you can see, we're going for a broad outreach in which we can facilitate safe and effective opioid use by all prescribers, not just physicians.
We're also planning a smartphone app/mobile Website that is currently under construction. The first part of the app/mobile Website will provide information that can be used in real time in the assessment and treatment of chronic noncancer pain and includes resources specific to these clinical issues that are contained in a single app/Website. We will be working on a second component of the phone app/mobile Website going forward, in which the focus will be safe and effective treatment of opioid dependence.
Another novel project involves the development of virtual patients that clinicians can interact with online. These patients will have specific problems frequently encountered in the treatment of chronic noncancer pain or opioid addiction and are being developed so that the problem can be assessed during the standard 15- to 20-minute office visit. We are working to get the first patient launched by the summer, and as we build virtual patients, we plan to offer continuing medical education credit for these interactions for prescribers participating in the program.
Finally, your readers are welcome to contact me if they have questions about either of these projects. I enjoy feedback from those who have used our programs, and I am always looking for ways to improve what we offer to clinicians so that we can ultimately improve treatment for patients needing opioid therapies for their medical conditions. I can be reached by email at elinore.mccance-katz@ucsf.edu, and my office phone is 415-206-4010.
A Valuable Resource for Opioid Prescribers
Medscape: Can you also tell us about the PCSS-O project?
Dr. McCance-Katz: The PCSS-O developed out of concern on the part of the federal government, both the Office of National Drug Control Policy and SAMHSA, about the rising adverse events, toxicities, and deaths associated with opioid misuse. The program is aimed both at clinicians currently prescribing opioid medications -- be it for the treatment of addiction or be it for the treatment of pain -- and at prescribers-to-be. We perform outreach to residents and medical students as well.
The recently launched Website includes our mentoring system (which can be found under the "Professional Peer Support" tab on the homepage). We've approved the first group of mentors and are currently looking for additional mentor candidates. Those with experience in safe and effective opioid prescribing, either for pain treatment or for treatment of opioid dependence, are welcome to apply to become a mentor.
Mentors vary in terms of areas of expertise and currently do include those with interests in both pain management and addiction, and I hope that some reading this article will consider becoming part of our program as mentors. I also hope that physicians seeking some collegial input in their practice that includes opioid prescribing will go on to our Website and request a mentor.
Medscape:What training resources are currently available?
Dr. McCance-Katz: We have several different types of training opportunities available for people. We hope that they will use what works best for them. Many online modules are available that readers can access on our Website (under the tab "Educational and Training Resources") that will help prescribers think about various issues in the prescribing of opioid medications. There's also a module on general screening for substance use disorders and pharmacotherapies for substance use disorders.
We have a very nice system that we developed for PCSS-O in which, when people finish a module, they are directed to a satisfaction survey. Once completed, they receive a certificate of completion for that module. We hope to be able to provide continuing medical education credit for these activities going forward.
We also have similar Webinar resources developed in collaboration with our various partners, AAAP as the lead organization, with the American Psychiatric Association, the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine, the American Medical Association, the American Dental Association, the International Nurses Society on Addictions and the American Society for Pain Management Nursing. They all provide Webinars covering topics of interest in this field and of interest to their constituencies.
In addition, we have Experts of the Month, who have given a Webinar or developed an online module and agree to facilitate a listserv that people can sign up for and ask questions about that expert's area of specialty. The listserv just launched, and Roger Chou, MD, lead author on the Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Chronic Opioid Therapy in Chronic Noncancer Pain, is our first Expert of the Month. Thus far, we have had an interesting discussion of several issues in chronic pain management, and I expect this to become a popular part of our program.
So, as you can see, we're going for a broad outreach in which we can facilitate safe and effective opioid use by all prescribers, not just physicians.
We're also planning a smartphone app/mobile Website that is currently under construction. The first part of the app/mobile Website will provide information that can be used in real time in the assessment and treatment of chronic noncancer pain and includes resources specific to these clinical issues that are contained in a single app/Website. We will be working on a second component of the phone app/mobile Website going forward, in which the focus will be safe and effective treatment of opioid dependence.
Another novel project involves the development of virtual patients that clinicians can interact with online. These patients will have specific problems frequently encountered in the treatment of chronic noncancer pain or opioid addiction and are being developed so that the problem can be assessed during the standard 15- to 20-minute office visit. We are working to get the first patient launched by the summer, and as we build virtual patients, we plan to offer continuing medical education credit for these interactions for prescribers participating in the program.
Finally, your readers are welcome to contact me if they have questions about either of these projects. I enjoy feedback from those who have used our programs, and I am always looking for ways to improve what we offer to clinicians so that we can ultimately improve treatment for patients needing opioid therapies for their medical conditions. I can be reached by email at elinore.mccance-katz@ucsf.edu, and my office phone is 415-206-4010.
