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for effective policies and regulations with insurance companies and state and federal governments.
ACS efforts
Under the leadership of Executive Director David B. Hoyt,
MD, FACS, the ACS is developing a collection of educational materials for patients and surgeons called Opioids
and Surgery: Use, Abuse and Alternatives.
43 By creating
an evidence-based resource that will inform preoperative
discussions, aid in the identification of patients at high risk
for potential abuse, and highlight nonopioid treatment
options, the ACS Division of Education is advocating for
improved pain management strategies aimed at preventing Americans from becoming victims of the opioid crisis.
Through its Division of Advocacy and Health Policy
(DAHP), the ACS continually tracks opioid-related legislative proposals at both the state and federal levels. The
DAHP not only advocates for policy changes that benefit surgical patients and surgeons, it also communicates
the relevant details of these laws to the ACS membership through the Bulletin, ACS NewsScope, and other
communication platforms. For example, a 2013 Bulletin
article summarized state legislative efforts to enhance
PDMPs and improve Continuing Medical Education
(CME) requirements.
44 In December 2016, a Bulletin article updated readers on new state laws for PDMPs, CME,
and prescribing limitations for opioids.
45 Furthermore, the
efforts of the DAHP to support $1 billion of state grant
funding for opioid research and treatment through the
21st Century Cures Act were highlighted in a January
2017 article.
46
ACS chapters have been active in grassroots advocacy
for opioid-related state laws, due in large part to the ACS
grant program for state capital lobby days.
47 Through these
state lobby days, the Connecticut, Indiana, Metro Chicago,
New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin Chapters advocated on behalf of their patients and surgeons for
practical opioid-related legislation under consideration
in their respective states.
47 Surgeon participation in state
lobby days is crucial for productive change in the opioid
crisis, and the surgical community is indebted to the participants for their selfless contribution of time and money.
22. Clarke H, Soneji N, Ko DT, Yun L, Wijeysundera
DN. Rates and risk factors for prolonged opioid use
after major surgery: Population-based cohort study.
BMJ. 2014;348:g1251.
23. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Opioid
overdose: State information: State successes. Available
at: www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/policy/successes.
html. Accessed May 2, 2017.
24. Dowell D, Haegerich TM, Chou R. CDC Guideline
for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain: United
States, 2016. MM WR Recomm Rep. 2016; 65( 1): 1-49.
25. Jones CM, Lurie PG, Throckmorton DC. Effect
of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s
rescheduling of hydrocodone combination analgesic
products on opioid analgesic prescribing. JAMA Intern
Med. 2016;176( 3):399-402.
26. Drug Enforcement Administration. DEA reduced
amount of opioid controlled substances to be
manufactured in 2017. Available at: www.dea.gov/
divisions/hq/2016/ hq100416.shtml. Accessed March
12, 2017.
27. Barlas S. FDA requires new labeling for some opioids:
Modest changes walk narrow political line. PT.
2013;38( 11):644.
28. Califf RM, Woodcock J, Ostroff S. A proactive
response to prescription opioid abuse. N Engl J Med.
2016;374( 15):1480-1485.
29. Department of Health and Human Services. The
Affordable Care Act and the Prevention and Public
Health Fund Report to Congress for FY2012.
Available at: www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/open/
prevention/fy-2012-aca-pphf-report-to-congress.pdf.
Accessed March 15, 2017.
30. Library of Congress. S.524. Comprehensive Addiction
and Recovery Act of 2016. Available at: www.
congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/524/
text. Accessed May 11, 2017.
31. National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws.
Substances monitored by PMP. Available at:
www.namsdl.org/library/8D7261F8-E47D-B6A5-
DD0CAFA98FEA4846/. Accessed May 2, 2017.
32. Federation of State Medical Boards. Continuing
Medical Education: Board by board overview.
Available at: www.fsmb.org/Media/Default/PDF/
FSMB/Advocacy/GRPOL_CME_Overview_by_
State.pdf. Accessed May 11, 2017.
REFERENCES, CONTINUED
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