Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Talk to your patients about opioid abuse before they leave the office.

With the opioid epidemic heavy on the Medicare plate of problems, the American Medical Association’s Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse recently offered guidance to physicians on best practice measures concerning the safe use, storage, and disposal of prescription opioids.

“These new recommendations can further reduce the amount of unwanted, unused, and medications — making their diversion to nonmedical use much less likely,” said Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA, chair of the AMA Board of Trustees and chair of the Task Force in an April 18, 2017 release. “By taking these important steps, physicians can communicate common-sense approaches to their patients that can directly reduce the potential for harm.”

The three-part system encourages providers to work with patients to eradicate issues related to the misuse and mismanagement of their prescriptions drugs. The steps remind physicians to:

• Discuss with patients the ramifications of sharing prescribed opioids.
• Ensure that patients understand the safeguards required to securely store this type of medication.
• Promote and educate patients on the legal disposal of opioid prescriptions and includes information related to federal and local “take back” programs.

The AMA hopes the Task Force suggestions will give physicians some guideline to follow and that a “reversal” of current opioid trends will ensue.

To take a look at the AMA release, visit www.ama-assn.org/ama-offers-guidance-physicians-safe-storage-disposal-opioids