Newswise (02/03/25)

Amid high rates of opioid overdoses in the Appalachian region, the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Foundation for Opioid Research and Education is working to educate frontline allied healthcare professionals in the region about the opioid crisis. The foundation has received a 3-year grant for its efforts from the federal Appalachian Regional Commission and support from the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The curriculum features a prescriber-training program, a free 8-hour online, self-paced certificate program for allied health professionals including nurse practitioners (NPs) and physicians' assistants (PAs). The course covers opioid prescribing guidelines and indications, pain management alternatives to opioids, identification of potential opioid abuse, and intervention strategies. Although designed for NP and PA students, the curriculum has been accredited for up to 13.5 continuing medical education credit hours and it satisfies the federal Drug Enforcement Agency Medication Assisted Treatment Education Act 8-hour training requirement on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders.

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