SCOPE of Pain Combats Opioid Abuse Through Prescriber Education

Friday, September 26, 2014

GoLocalWorcester Health Team

In an effort to help address the growing opioid epidemic both state and nationwide, Boston University School of Medicine has been holding live meetings with their program SCOPE of Pain (Safe and Competent Opioid Prescribing Education).

Led by national experts in pain management and addiction, this education-based program provides opioid prescribers with validated tools, skills and confidence in how to safely prescribe opioids and implement systems that minimize the risks of opioid misuse, including addiction and overdose.

"There are roughly 100 million people in the United States with chronic pain and, while opioids may not be the best solution for all of these individuals, they can improve functionality and quality of life for some,” said SCOPE of Pain Program Director Dr. Daniel P. Alford. “The problem is that the appropriate use of opioids is not well covered in medical training. SCOPE of Pain provides the missing link: education."

SCOPE of Pain educates prescribers through live seminars held in cities throughout the country, as well as a three-part Web-based educational series based on real-world, case-based patient scenarios that can be accessed at any time via http://www.scopeofpain.com. These activities are certified for continuing medical education (CME) and continuing nursing education (CNE) credits and are available at no cost to prescribers.

Upcoming live meetings are scheduled to be held in Tysons Corner, Virginia on Oct. 25, Boston, Massachusetts on Nov. 14, Burlington, Vermont on Nov. 15, and Rocky Hill, Connecticut on Nov. 21.

SCOPE of Pain has proven to be an effective means of addressing the opioid issue. More than 90 percent of surveyed participants rate it very good to excellent while more than 67 percent reported making changes in their practices as a result of what they learned. To date, Boston University School of Medicine has educated more than 20,000 prescribers across the country about safe opioid analgesic prescribing practices.

The program is part of a national effort spearheaded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to combat the abuse of extended-release, long-acting opioid (ER/LA) analgesics. Its content is based on the FDA-established curriculum known as the Blueprint for Prescriber Education for ER/LA Analgesics.