Opioid Advisory Workgroup to Help Hospitals Respond to the Epidemic

GNYHA’s Opioid Advisory Workgroup held its first meeting on January 31 to develop programs to bolster member activities in response to the opioid epidemic. GNYHA’s 2017 programs included introducing practitioners to medication-assisted treatment, buprenorphine waiver training for prescribers, induction and maintenance of buprenorphine in primary care and emergency department settings, and an innovative partnership among law enforcement, the judicial system, and substance use disorder treatment providers to encourage treatment instead of the criminal justice system. A program summary can be viewed in the 2017 issue of GNYHA News Presents: The Opioid Epidemic. Workgroup members discussed pain management standards implemented by The Joint Commission that went into effect January 1, 2018. GNYHA will help members develop policies and procedures demonstrating compliance with the new standards and leverage them to support institutional practices to address the opioid epidemic. GNYHA also continues to partner with the graduate medical education community on opportunities to prepare new physicians to treat acute and chronic pain, as well as identify and proactively treat at-risk patients and identify those with addiction issues. GNYHA will continue to work closely with legislators and State agencies on legislative and regulatory issues to remove obstacles to care.