Responsible Pain Management: Prescribing,Handling and Limiting Opioids

Date:
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Overview

This program is designed to ensure that oral health clinicians have an awareness of current Federal, New York and New Jersey regulations related to prescribing controlled substances, the science behind these regulations, the history and impact of the current opioid epidemic, and the evolving principles of safe and appropriate pain management. The program will also address the use of analgesics in palliative care and will highlight management strategies for patients who have substance use disorders and/or present under the influence of psychoactive drugs.

Note: this program includes all of NY’s eight mandated subject areas and fulfills the NY State three-hour requirement for opioid prescriber training. NJ licensees can claim the required one hour of opioid prescriber training and one of the three required hours of internal medicine and pharmacology as well as a third hour of general CE time.

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

  1. Discuss the current opioid epidemic in the US and worldwide and the role of the dentist in reducing the magnitude of this problem.
  2. Describe opioid-reducing strategies for post treatment pain management in dentistry.
  3. Describe how a dentist can prevent or reduce the likelihood of misuse, diversion and abuse of opioids.
  4. Identify State required limits and CDC guidelines related to prescribing controlled substances.
  5. List the responsibilities of the dentist when providing pain management to patients including patient education, proper prescribing and careful documentation.

About Dr. Hillel Ephros

Dr. Hillel Ephros (Hilly) is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and St. George’s University School of Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and served as an Examiner for that Board from 2003-9. He chairs the Department of Dentistry at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, NJ and directs the residency program in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery sponsored by St. Josephs in affiliation with New York Medical College where he is an Adjunct Professor. He has published in the scientific literature, authored textbook chapters and received awards for teaching including the Archbishop John J. Meyers Outstanding Educator Award in 2003 at Seton Hall University.

The St. Joseph’s University Medical Center is an ADA CERP recognized provider of continuing education credit. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, not does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to ADA CERP at www.ada.org.