The American College of Emergency Physicians President Jay Kaplan, MD, said the organization applauds the CDC taking important steps to combat the epidemic through its updated prescribing guidelines.
Here are four highlights:
1. The CDC recommends drug monitoring programs, which the ACEP strongly supports. In her statement, Dr. Kaplan cites Washington state's Emergency Department Information Exchange, which successfully utilizes drug monitoring programs.
2. In his statement, Dr. Kaplan states, "Every day in our nation's emergency departments we treat patients suffering acute pain and must balance their immediate needs against the long-term risk of becoming opiate-dependent. It is critical that physicians educate patients on reasonable expectations for treatment of pain in the emergency department."
3. The ACEP also urges payers to reimburse alternative approaches to pain treatment.
4. The ACEP is a national medical specialty society which represents energy medicine. The society has 53 chapters throughout the nation.
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