Following completion of this web course, participants should be able to:

• Describe specific statutory requirements including rules and regulations of the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy, West Virginia Board of Medicine and West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine relating to controlled substance prescribers
• Explain the importance of registering and use of the West Virginia Controlled Substances Monitoring Program established in West Virginia Code Chapter 60A, Article 9
• Describe recent legislative changes; compliance with controlled substance laws and rules related to substance abuse and prescription drug abuse
• Recognize the impact of legislative changes on physician practices and their patients
• Explain and discuss current West Virginia statistics on prescription drug diversion, abuse, intoxications and resulting deaths
• Recognize the importance of utilizing the WV Board of Pharmacy query to detect “doctor shopping” and diversion behaviors
• Describe the role of the Chief Medical Examiner in death investigations
• Explain the competent certification of deaths for the purposes of Vital Statistics
• Recognize best practice methods for working with patients suspected of drug seeking behavior, diversion and other aberrant behavior
• Describe the tactics and behaviors of best practices of suspected doctor shopping, drug seeking and drug diversion
• Explain prescribing and administration of an opioid antagonist
• Discuss case studies on best practices for indication and contraindication of opioids in chronic pain treatment, general characteristics, including toxicities and drug interactions
• Describe the risk assessment and tools, examination and evaluation of the pain patient
• Explain the initiation and ongoing management of chronic pain patient treated with opioid based therapies, including treatment objectives; monitoring and periodic review; referrals and consultations; informed consent; prescription of controlled substance agreements, urine screens and pill counts; patient education on safe use, storage and disposal of opioids; discontinuation of opioids for pain due to lack of benefits or increased risks; documentation and medical records
• Describe and explain the epidemiology of chronic pain and misuse of opioids including the economic social impact
• Recognize patient risk stratification and opioid prescribing