01/20/2017

Opioid Training Update

The Governor has signed into a law an amendment to the public health law regarding training in pain management and opioid prescriptions.

All podiatrists (and any other person licensed under Title 8) who have a DEA registration number AND all residents prescribing with a facility DEA registration number will be REQUIRED to take three hours of training approved by the DOH in pain management, palliative care and addiction. 

The course work must be completed by July 1, 2017 and then once within a three year period thereafter. Anyone licensed after July 1, 2017 must complete the course within 1 year of licensure and then once within a three year period thereafter.

UPDATE: The Department of Health will be finalizing and posting information about prescriber education on its website soon.  Although not yet definitive, the Department is presently planning to accept coursework accredited by the following organizations:

• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)
• American Dental Association's Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP)
• Academy of General Dentistry's Program Approval for Continuing Education (AGD PACE)
• The New York State Dental Association (NYSDA)
• American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA)
• Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME)
• The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM)
• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
• New York State Education Department

The Department intends to accept coursework accredited by one of the above organizations for any prescriber who completes it, regardless of the prescriber’s license or specialty.  For example, a dentist, a podiatrist, and a nurse practitioner could each take a course accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME), and the Department would deem them to have satisfied the law’s requirement. Coursework can be taken anywhere in the USA.