12 Lessons Tennessee Med Students Are Now Supposed To Learn About Opioids

Tennessee students preparing for jobs in which they’ll prescribe medication may start spending much more time focused on the perils of addictive painkillers. A commission representing schools around the state has come up with 12 key points that need to be covered before graduation.

These dozen lessons have been agreed upon by doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurse practitioners and even veterinarians
on the panel. Students would spend much more time on pain — learning about alternative therapies like mindfulness and chiropractic treatments, practicing de-escalation techniques for use with those who may be abusing opioids, and studying the roots and far reaching impacts of the opioid crisis itself.

The Commission on Pain and Addiction Medicine Education — representing Vanderbilt, UT, Meharry, Trevecca and others — was named by Governor Bill Haslam. Its full report will be released Thursday, and institutions will indicate whether they plan to adopt the guidelines.

Haslam’s broader initiative aimed at curbing opioid abuse, dubbed TN Together, also includes strict limits on prescriptions and more money for rehab and law enforcement.

12 Core Competencies (
PDF)

• Epidemiology and Population Level — studying opioid crisis impact and origin
• Pain Evaluation — differentiating between physical and “psychosocial” pain
• Pharmacologic and Non-pharmacologic Treatment of Pain — over-the-counter and prescription meds versus physical therapy and psychotherapy
• Practical Aspects of Prescribing and Communication — practicing warning patients of opioid dangers
• Conflict Prevetion and Resolution — learning de-escalation and showing empathy during patient interaction
• Chronic Pain Plans — thinking beyond medicine to include psychological and behavioral therapy
• Acute Pain Care for Chronic Pain Patients — how to treat patients with short-term pain already on opioids
• Interoffice and Interprofessional Focus — handing off pain patients to other doctors
• Substance Use Disorder Risk Evaluation — evaluating patients and incorporating “social, environmental and behavioral” influences
• Deveopment of a Treatment Plan for the Patient with Substance Use Disorder — understanding medication-assisted treatment and co-occuring health challenges
• Management of Overdose Risk — learning when to prescribe overdose reversal drug
• Professional and Legal Standards — knowing state and federal law on opioids