Sec. 5701. Study on safe opioid prescribing practices
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/bill/115/hr/2810/eas/section-5701·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study on the effectiveness of the training provided to health care providers of the Department of Defense regarding opioid prescribing practices, initiatives in opioid safety, the use of the VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain, and other related training. The study under subsection
(a)shall address the effectiveness of training with respect to the following: Identifying and treating individuals with chronic pain. Prescribing opioid analgesics, including— reducing average dosages; reducing average number of dosages; reducing initial and average durations of opioid analgesic therapy; reducing dose escalation when opioid analgesic therapy has resulted in adequate pain reduction; and reducing the average number of prescription opioid analgesics dispensed by the Department of Defense. Reducing the number of overdoses due to prescription opioids for patients with acute pain and patients undergoing opioid therapy for chronic pain. Developing validated opioid dependence screening tools for health care providers of the Department. Communicating to health care providers of the Department changes in policies of the Department regarding opioid safety and prescribing practices. Providing education on the risks of opioid medications to individuals for whom such medications are prescribed and to their families, with special consideration given to raising awareness among adolescents on such risks. Providing counseling and referrals for, and expanding access to, treatment alternatives to opioid analgesics. Developing and implementing a physician advisory committee of the Department relating to education programs for prescribers of opioid analgesics. Developing methods to incentivize health care providers of the Department to use physical therapy or alternative methods to treat acute or chronic pain. Developing curricula on pain management and safe opioid analgesic prescribing that incorporates opioid analgesic prescribing guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a).