ASIPP Releases Opioid Prescribing Guidelines
The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) has published comprehensive, evidence-based, consensus guidelines for prescribing opioids in chronic non-cancer pain. They offer a detailed analysis of opioid prescribing practices, including risks, benefits, and recommendations for clinicians. The guidelines emphasize a systematic review of clinical and epidemiological evidence and involve a multidisciplinary panel of experts. Key areas covered include initial steps in opioid therapy, assessment of effectiveness, monitoring adherence and side effects, and final phase recommendations.
The document also discusses the limitations and challenges in the current understanding and application of opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain. This guideline is very similar to the CDC opioid prescribing guidelines (2022), with some notable differences in key recommendations: ASIPP does not mention naloxone co-prescribing, ASIPP does not mention referral for OUD when suspected, ASIPP does not mention benzodiazepine co-prescribing, and ASIPP does mention the importance of a bowel regimen.
The guidelines are available at https://www.ilpmp.org/CDC/2023ASIPPGuidelines.pdf
Physician Assistant Supply and Demand by States
In a report released March 7, 2024, the National Commission on Certification of PAs (NCCPA) provides a glimpse into supply and demand of board-certified physician assistants/associates in the US.
The report, titled “2022 Statistical Profile of Board-Certified PAs by State,” reflects aggregated responses from PAs who were board-certified as of the end of 2022. As of December 31, 2022, there were 168318 board-certified PAs, including in US territories and other areas, and 140815 provided responses for at least a portion of the report. The report also provides 5-year comparisons using data from 2018 and, additionally, reflects data obtained from other NCCPA data collection strategies.
The report can be accessed at https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2022-Statistical-Profile-of-Board-Certified-PAs-by-State-2_8_24.pdf
Source:https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce/physician-assistant-supply-and-demand-by-state.html
Summary of FSMB AI Symposium Released
The Federation of State Medical Boards’ (FSMB) held a Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in Health Care and Medical Regulation on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at the Hamilton Hotel, Washington, DC.
The meeting was attended by 133 individuals, including members and staff of state and territorial medical and osteopathic boards, representatives of the health technology sector, the legal profession, venture capital, government, and several partner organizations.
A meeting summary is available at https://www.fsmb.org/siteassets/communications/aisymposiumsummary17jan2024-final.pdf
Five Licensing Boards Join Data Collaboration with ACCME
Five new licensing boards have joined the ACCME and State Medical Licensing Boards Collaboration:
Alaska State Medical Board
DC Health
Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure
New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners
Wyoming Board of Medicine
All state medical licensing boards can access CME credit data reported for their licensees. These 5 boards join 11 other licensing boards that have designated ACCME's Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) as their primary source, or actively use PARS, for CME information required for relicensure.
This collaboration reduces burdens and streamlines the CME reporting process for learners who are licensed physicians in these areas.
Source: ACCME Newsletter, January 30, 2024. https://accme.org/january-2024-newsletter
