Registration is now open for doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants to learn how to identify the warning signs of over-prescribing pain medication to patients. The Oakland County Prescription Drug Abuse Partnership will again offer Boston University School of Medicine’s nationally-renowned SCOPE of Pain training on Saturday, Nov.12, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak auditorium at 3711 W. 13 Mile Road. To register, go to OakGov.com/Health.
“The opioid epidemic is one of the most pressing public health issues today,” said George Miller, director of Oakland County Health and Human Services. “More Americans now die from drug overdoses than car crashes, and these overdoses impact families from every walk of life including here in our community.”
The SCOPE of Pain training helps physicians to safely and effectively manage patients with chronic pain, when appropriate, with opioid painkillers. Opioids are a type of narcotic medication used to control pain. The training will include essential clinical content on opioid prescribing as well as Michigan-specific information, including a policy and resource panel with representatives from state and local agencies. The training is supported by an independent educational grant from opioid pharmaceutical companies.
“Chronic pain affects approximately 100 million in the U.S., making it one of the most common reasons for patients to seek medical care,” said Dr. Rahul Mehta, chair of Emergency Department at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Pontiac. “Unfortunately, pain management, including the appropriate use of opioids, is not always covered well during medical training. Post-graduate trainings, like SCOPE of Pain, allow doctors to be guided by expert faculty specializing in pain and addiction and observe model provider-patient interactions around the safe use of opioids.”
Mehta is also the chair of the Oakland County Medical Society, who is sponsoring the training breakfast along with the Michigan State Medical Society.
The Oakland County Prescription Drug Abuse Partnership focuses on prevention and education of prescription drug abuse and creating partnerships with law enforcement, courts, treatment providers, and
healthcare to tackle this issue.
“Addressing the opioid crisis requires partnerships at every level to strengthen education, prevention, and treatment,” said Dr. Roy Soto, Beaumont Department of Anesthesiology program director. “Improving training for providers can help prevent the overprescribing of opioids that can lead to addiction. I applaud the work of the partnership and look forward to every hospital and medical center sharing a uniform vision for the use of opioids and the management of chronic pain.”
In March of 2015, the Oakland County Health Division formed the Oakland County Prescription Drug Abuse Partnership to create a coordinated strategic action plan for reducing prescription drug abuse and overdoses in Oakland County. The partnership has a strong coalition of partners who have an active interest in preventing prescription overdose deaths.
The partnership is facilitated by the Oakland County Health Division and includes representatives from the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities, Area Agency on Aging 1B, Beaumont Health System, Bryan's Hope, city of Farmington Hills, Milford Counseling, Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority, Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Waterford Schools, and 51st and 52nd District courts.
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