NC DHHS urges clinicians to help fight opioid abuse
DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, MD, contacted thousands of North Carolina physicians, physician assistants and other clinicians on Wednesday to ask them to take specific steps to combat opioid abuse, and the resulting patient harm.
In the March 7 letter, Secretary Cohen calls on prescribers to familiarize themselves with the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, which NCMB recently adopted. The CDC policy is a good basic resource that encourages responsible opioid prescribing. However, as noted in NCMB’s comments endorsing the policy, the recommendations may not meet the needs of all patients. Access the CDC policy
Secretary Cohen’s letter also urges clinicians who prescribe controlled substances to register for access to, and use, the NC Controlled Substances Reporting System to monitor patients’ prescription histories and guide prescribing practices. NCMB offers an online registration process for NCCSRS. Log in and select Training & CSRS from the menu options to sign up for access.
To read more of Secretary Cohen’s message, visit NC DHHS.
