Nurse Practitioners Guide to Prescribing Controlled Substances Focus on Opioids- 4CH

Course overview

Audience This course is intended for nurse practitioners who prescribe controlled substance medications, especially opioids, for acute and chronic pain not related to cancer in adults. Course overview Appropriate prescribing practices are critical for all medications, but drugs that are considered controlled substances require additional attention. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), all have a role in determining the scheduling of prescription medications. As prescribers, it is critical that nurse practitioners understand not only federal but state requirements for prescribing all controlled substances. In addition, inappropriately prescribing opioids, resulting in their misuse and abuse, has led to many changes, including new safety and quality recommendations that must be considered. This course will provide a general review of federal and state controlled substance regulations and the prescribing of all controlled substances in general, as well as focus on clinical and safety considerations when prescribing opioid medications for acute and chronic pain not related to cancer. Learning objectives Upon completion of this course, the learner should be able to: • Describe the roles of the DEA, FDA, and HHS in scheduling controlled substances and enforcing controlled substance laws and regulations. • Understand the different DEA Controlled Substance Schedules and prescribing regulations associated with the different DEA Controlled Substance Schedules. • Describe important considerations when prescribing any controlled substances, including regulatory exceptions and clinical concerns. • Discuss rationale for using opioids in acute and non-cancer related chronic pain management. • Assess patients to identify and monitor for patient-specific risks of opioid medications. • Differentiate between opioid equianalgesic doses and morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) and their roles in pain management therapy. • Discuss strategies to ensure appropriate and safe prescribing and use of opioid analgesics in patients with acute and chronic pain.