April 19, 2018
It seems that every day we hear about someone who’s been affected by opioid addiction or overdose. Many times the person affected is an adolescent. We all have accountability for assuring the safe and appropriate use of these drugs while we help patients achieve relief from pain.
One way Premera is supporting this effort is through sharing information with dental providers on practice variation in opioid prescribing when it’s in excess of current clinical guidelines.
If you’re a dentist, or work for one, and would like to see if there’s something you can do to help tackle the opioid crisis, see the Dr. Robert Bree Collaborative and Washington State Agency Medical Directors’ Group Dental Guidelines on Prescribing Opioids for Acute Pain Management. These guidelines were developed with input from Washington State DDS and DMD peers.
The American Dental Association (ADA) also recently released a new policy to combat the opioid epidemic, including supporting mandatory continuing education in prescribing opioids and other controlled substances. Learn more about the ADA’s recommendations.