The American Board of Dermatology has developed focused Practice Improvement (fPI) modules that satisfy the training requirements for dermatologists maintaining Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) prescriber registration to prescribe opioids. The ABD anticipates that the opioid-focused activities will be available in early March 2024, and will be found in the focused Practice Improvement library available when you log into your profile on the ABD website.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 established a new requirement for all DEA-registered practitioners to complete 8 hours of training on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. Unfortunately, many of the current qualifying education modules are minimally relevant to dermatologists.
“Dermatologists who are due to renew their DEA registration this year may be searching now for activities to fulfill their educational requirements,” says Erik Stratman MD, ABD Associate Executive Director for Continuous Improvement and Research. “Even though the Practice Improvement activities are not available yet, we wanted to let dermatologists know there is an option coming later in the first quarter of 2024 that is focused on their specialty. We know it is important to dermatologists to spend their time on relevant education. We think this can help.”
All activities are based on dermatology peer-reviewed literature or current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. The ABD worked with board-certified dermatology experts in opioid use in dermatology to create these modules.
The ABD has developed four Practice Improvement modules about opioids:
· Prescribing appropriate quantities of opioids for the immediate post-operative period.
· Checking your state’s opioid prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), an electronic database that tracks controlled substance prescriptions for patients.
· Developing a plan when encountering patients with possible opioid use disorder.
· Using a Patient-Provider Agreement when prescribing long-term opioids for your dermatology patients
Each module not only offers a chance to assess your practice, but also provides education in management options for patients with opioid use disorder. If you have been looking for educational opportunities to meet this requirement, these modules may be the easiest and most relevant for you.
Completing these modules not only provides qualifying education to renew your DEA registration but also will count as your practice assessment activity requirement to meet continuing board certification. Additionally, each activity will be eligible to claim up to 20 CME credits and are included at no additional charge to ABD board-certified dermatologists participating in the Continuing Certification Program (CCP).
