Resources & Information

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) Foundation recently released a revised and expanded second edition of the popular prescribing manual, Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Clinician’s Guide. The book presents clinicians with effective strategies for reducing the risk of addiction, abuse and diversion of opioids that they prescribe for their patients in pain. Written by pain medicine specialist Scott M. Fishman, MD, the revised and expanded edition features important new material, including research on opioid prescribing that was not available when the first edition was published in 2007, and updated recommendations for prescribers.

The NC Medical Board has distributed hundreds of the first edition book to licensees with identified deficiencies or other problems with prescribing of controlled substances. It is proud to recognize NCMB Medical Director Scott G. Kirby, MD, as a member of the advisory board that reviewed the second edition of the book.

The expanded Clinician's Guide translates best-practice guidelines from leading pain medicine societies and the FSMB into pragmatic steps for risk reduction and improved patient care, including:

• Patient evaluation, including risk assessment


• Treatment plans that incorporate functional goals


• Informed consent and prescribing agreements


• Periodic review and monitoring of patients


• Referral and patient management


• Documentation


• Compliance with state and federal law


• Patient education on safe use, storage and disposal of opioid medication


• Termination strategies for chronic opioid therapy

Since publication of the first edition in 2007, Responsible Opioid Prescribing has been widely used and supported in the medical and regulatory communities as the leading continuing medical education (CME) activity for prescribers of opioid medications. For the first time, the FSMB Foundation has released CME activities designed to accompany the book.

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BUY THE BOOK, CLAIM THE CME
In order to receive credit, participants will need to obtain a copy of the book, which can be ordered at www.fsmb.org/cme/index.html ($16.95 plus shipping; volume discounts available). The content of the CME activity is divided into three modules that together comprise 7.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. In order to receive credit, participants should:

• Read the chapters included in each module


• Go online to www.fsmb.org/CME


• Click the link to “Claim Credit for Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician’s Guide”


• Enter the access code included in the book


• Select the module you would like to claim credit for and complete the online registration process (participants only need to register once to complete all three modules)