PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) has formed a collaborative partnership with Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) to make continuing education in safe opioid prescribing more accessible to its members. Through the partnership, members will have access to BUSM’s SCOPE of Pain (Safe and Competent Opioid Prescribing Education) online training and live conferences.
Nearly every community across the U.S. has been touched by the rise in opioid abuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, death rates from opioid overdoses quadrupled from 1999 to 2010.
Representing those on the front lines of battling opioid addiction, the AAAP recognizes educating prescribers is an important part of the solution. AAAP is recommending that all of its members who prescribe opioids take advantage of SCOPE of Pain educational opportunities.
“A major effort is required to address the opioid overdose epidemic, which is why AAAP is pleased to work with Boston University and the SCOPE of Pain project,” said AAAP President Laurence Westreich. “AAAP brings to the project the expertise of a cadre of addiction, psychiatry, and pain experts who have trained thousands of health care providers on cutting edge, evidence-based treatments on the safe and effective use of opioids for treatment of chronic pain and opioid use disorder.”
Boston University School of Medicine launched SCOPE of Pain (www.scopeofpain.com) in 2013 to address the challenges of opioid prescribing.
Program Director Dr. Daniel P. Alford said, “While opioids may not be the solution for everyone who suffers from chronic pain, they can improve quality of life for some. Access to proven tools related to effective opioid prescribing and monitoring will enable prescribers to continue to help those patients who can benefit from this type of treatment while mitigating the risks.”
SCOPE of Pain is part of a national effort spearheaded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to combat the abuse of extended-release, long-acting opioid (ER/LA) analgesics.
Led by national experts in pain management and addiction, it educates prescribers through live seminars held throughout the country, as well as a Web-based educational series based on real-world, case-based patient scenarios. Some of the topics covered include assessing misuse risk through a systematic approach, patient counseling, monitoring for misuse after prescribing, the importance of clear documentation, multi-dimensional care, using universal precautions for all patients, and dealing with patients who show signs of misuse/addiction.
To date, Boston University School of Medicine has educated more than 20,000 prescribers across the country about safe opioid analgesic prescribing practices.
Editor’s Note: For additional information on SCOPE of Pain opioid facts and education, please refer to the following infographic;
https://www.scopeofpain.com/includes/kcfinder/upload/files/SCOPE_Infoposter1_Final.pdf
About Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM):
A leader in medical education and research, BUSM 
(www.bumc.bu.edu/busm) resides at the hub of a modern urban academic health center that provides an exceptional environment for students interested in basic science, clinical investigation, or public health- and health services-oriented research.
Integrated since 1864 and co-educational since 1873, BUSM has almost 700 medical degree students and more than 800 masters and doctorate degree students who are pursuing the study of medicine and the biomedical sciences. For more than 130 years, BUSM faculty have consistently ranked among those on the frontiers of scientific and medical knowledge. BUSM has been sponsoring Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities since 1973. Over the last five years, it has educated more than 179,000 health care professionals. For more information, visit www.bu.edu/cme.
About the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry:
The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, is the professional membership organization for learning and sharing about the art and science of Addiction Psychiatry research and clinical treatment. Its 1,500 members nationwide are psychiatrists, faculty, medical students, residents and fellows, non-psychiatrists and related health professionals helping those with substance use disorders and mental health disorders. For more information, visit www.aaap.org.
