Opioid Continuing Education

The CME: Only Available to Texas Orthopaedic Association and Texas Ophthalmological Association Members

The CME is only available to members of the Texas Orthopaedic Association (MDs and DOs) and Texas Ophthalmological Association (MDs and DOs) whose dues are current.

TOA is not able to award CME for other individuals who complete the exercise.

Upon completion, the Texas Orthopaedic Association will e-mail a certificate to you within one to two weeks. It depends on TOA’s workload that week.

Feel free to email for a reminder or update.

About the Mandate

The 2019 Texas Legislature passed three bills that requires physicians to complete at least two hours of CME in opioid prescribing.

Texas Medical Board Guidance

Click here to view the website.

Pain Management and the Prescription of Opioids

At least 2 of the 24 formal (CME) hours must involve the study of the following topics: 

  • best practices, alternative treatment options, and multi-modal approaches to pain management that may include physical therapy, psychotherapy, and other treatments;
  • safe and effective pain management related to the prescription of opioids and other controlled substances, including education regarding:

– standards of care;

– identification of drug-seeking behavior in patients; and

– effectively communicating with patients regarding the prescription of an opioid or other controlled substances; and prescribing and monitoring of controlled substances.

These formal hours maybe credited towards

  • the requirements for medical ethics or professional responsibility for any physician, or
  • the 10 hours of pain management continuing education required for those physicians practicing in pain clinics (see info below under “Additional Requirements”).

This requirement applies to the renewal of a license on or after September 1, 2020.

Accreditation Statement

The Texas Orthopaedic Association is accredited by the Texas Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CME Designation Statement

The Texas Orthopaedic Association designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Ethics Designation Statement

This course has been designated by the Texas Orthopaedic Association for 2.0 credits of education in medical ethics and/or professional responsibility.

Pain Management and Prescription of Opioids Statement

This course has been designated by the Texas Orthopaedic Association for 2.0 credits of education in pain management and prescription of opioids.

Enduring Material

Original release date: September 25, 2020

Reviewed by the CME committee and approved: September 25, 2022

Termination date: December 31, 2023

Learning Objectives

  • Determine when to utilize the Prescription Monitoring Program.
  • Identify the various side effects of opioid use.
  • Identify non-opioid treatments for acute and chronic pain.
  • Summarize the literature surrounding outcomes of patients on opioids prior to surgical treatments.
  • Demonstrate how to communicate with patients about appropriate and inappropriate opioid use.
  • Determine how to identify which patients who should not receive opioids or need a higher level of care.

Course Outline

  • What are opioids?
  • How do opioids work?
  • What problems can opioids cause?
  • How do opioids impact the cost of care provided by physicians?
  • What are best practices and legal requirements for writing opioids?
  • What is the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program and how does it work?
  • How does a physician identify patients who should not receive opioids or who need a higher level of care?
  • What should physicians do if they get in over their head with writing for opioids for their patients?

Speaker Disclosure

Adam Bruggeman, MD
Submitted on: 9.24.22
Medtronic: Paid consultant
NovaBone: Paid consultant
SI-Bone: Paid consultant
Stryker: Paid consultant

Planner Disclosures

TOA mandates all instructors, planners, and other individuals in a position to control or influence the content of an educational activity to disclose all relevant financial relationships or affiliations during the past 24 months with any commercial interest. All identified conflicts of interest must be resolved and the education content vetted by the TOA for fair balance, scientific objectivity and appropriateness.

Ken J Kaminski, MD, FAAOS
Submitted on: 3.2.22
None

Vinod Kumar Panchbhavi, MD, FAAOS, FACS
Submitted on 2.17.22
DJO: Paid presenter or speaker
Stryker: Paid presenter or speaker

Luis H Urrea II, MD, FAAOS
Submitted on 3.6.22
Texas Orthopaedic Association: Board member
Texas Medical Association: Council member
Border Health Caucus: Chair
Tenet Physician Resources: Employment

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

TOA mitigated relevant financial relationships prior to the activity.

Sources for Continued Study

  1. Centers for Disease Control. “Pocket Guide: Tapering Opioids for Chronic Pain.”  Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control website: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/clinical_pocket_guide_tapering-a.pdf
  2. Davenport, S et al, “Costs and Comorbidities of Opioid Use Disorder: The Impact of Opioid Use Disorder for Patients with Chronic Medical Conditions.” Milliman White Paper, 2019.
  3. S. Department of Health and Human Services (2019, May). “Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force Report: Updates, Gaps, Inconsistencies, and Recommendations.” Retrieved from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website: https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/pain/reports/index.html
  4. S. Food and Drug Administration (2016, August). “FDA Warns About Serious Risks and Death When Combining Opioid Pain or Cough Medicines with Benzodiazepines; Requires Its Strongest Warning.” Retrieved from U.S. Food and Drug Administration website: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-communication-fda-warns-about-serious-risks-and-death-when-combining-opioid-pain-or
  5. Washington State Agency Medical Directors’ Group. “Interagency Guideline on Prescribing Opioids for Pain.” 2015: http://www.agencymeddirectors.wa.gov/Files/2015AMDGOpioidGuideline.pdf
  6. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Pain Relief Toolkit: https://www5.aaos.org/PainReliefToolkit/?ssopc=1

Watch the Videos 

 After watching both videos below, click here to fill out the evaluation for credit.

Part 2

Claim Your Credit & Evaluation

CME credit is available to dues-paying members of the Texas Orthopaedic Association (MDs and DOs) and Texas Ophthalmological Association (MDs and DOs). (Your dues must be current.)

TOA is not able to award the CME to other individuals.

Click here to fill out the course evaluation form. Following submission, TOA will e-mail a CME certificate to you several days after submission.

Questions? Contact Bobby Hillert at Bobby@toa.org.