Georgia Physicians Offered Course in Safe and Effective Opioid Prescribing
The Doctors Company Helps Physicians Meet State Requirement
Napa, California—April 2, 2018—As part of its commitment to advance the practice of good medicine, The Doctors Company is offering a free course on safe and effective opioid prescribing to assist Georgia physicians in meeting state requirements.
The three-hour, on-demand continuing medical education (CME) course meets the requirement of the Georgia Composite Medical Board that physicians who maintain active DEA certificates and prescribe controlled substances must complete three or more hours of CME designed specifically to address controlled substance prescribing practices. Physicians are required to complete the CME one time.
The Georgia General Assembly included this requirement in a bill signed into law by the governor to address the opioid crisis in Georgia. The number of opioid-involved overdose deaths from 2010–2016 in Georgia increased 117 percent from 426 to 929, according to the preliminary Opioid Overdose Surveillance report.
“Opioid abuse is a serious patient safety issue across the nation, and Georgia is no exception,” said Darrell Ranum, acting senior vice president of patient safety, The Doctors Company. “As a company founded and led by doctors, we are keenly aware of the concerns physicians have about opioid prescription abuse, and we are pleased to provide this resource to all Georgia physicians.”
Upon completing the online program, physicians will be able to:
- Adhere to Georgia’s controlled substance prescribing rules.
- Implement an assessment process for identifying abuse or misuse of controlled substances.
- Discuss with patients the risks associated with controlled substance treatments.
- Utilize Georgia’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) when prescribing medications.
“This CME offered by The Doctors Company is among the best education available for physicians,” said Douglas Lundy, MD, co-president and orthopaedic trauma surgeon at Resurgens Orthopaedics in Atlanta. “Currently, Georgia physicians are required to complete education regarding opioid prescribing and abuse prevention. Our practice is very appreciative and enthusiastic about this offering.”
About The Doctors Company
Founded and led by physicians, The Doctors Company (www.thedoctors.com) is relentlessly committed to advancing, protecting, and rewarding the practice of good medicine. The Doctors Company takes the mal out of malpractice insurance by helping practices of all sizes manage the complexities of today’s healthcare environment—with expert guidance, resources, and coverage. The Doctors Company is the nation’s largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurer, with 80,000 members and over $4 billion in assets, and is rated A by A.M. Best Company and Fitch Ratings. To learn more about data-driven insights and to stay up to date on industry trends, follow and subscribe to The Doctors Company on Twitter (@doctorscompany), YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+.