Board of Medicine Opioid Prescribing
Information on prescribing opioids for pain management.
Board Approved Continuing Medical Education (CME) regarding Opioid Prescribing
Pursuant to RSA 126-A:97, all prescribers required to register with the program who possess a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) license number shall complete 3 contact hours of free appropriate prescriber's regulatory board-approved online continuing education or pass an online examination, in the area of pain management and addiction disorder or a combination, as a condition for license renewal. Please see the Board Approved Continuing Medical Education (CME) regarding Opioid Prescribing below.
Rules
On August 4, 2021, the Board of Medicine adopted updates to the opioid prescribing rules Med 502 which became effective August 6, 2021. Please take the time to review these important rules.
Use of a Opioid Dose Equivalent Calculator is recommended for prescribers of opioids.
The Board also shares a sample Checklist for the Prescribing of Opioids for the Management or Treatment of Pain.
Board-Approved Risk Assessment Tools
- Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain-Revised (SOAPP®-R)
- Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP)® Version 1.0 - 14Q
- Opioid Risk Tool (ORT)
- Venebio Opioid Advisor At the present time, any provider wishing to use the tool will need to contact Venebio via a form on its website.
Disposing of Unused Opioids
Information Regarding the State's New Addiction Crisis Hotline
For immediate assistance with addiction or substance misuse call the New Hampshire Statewide Addiction Crisis Line toll-free at 1-844-711-HELP (4357) or via email at hope@keystonehall.org.
Opioid and Substance Related Resources
Naloxone
- The Board has issued a Statement on Naloxone Prescribing, informing licensees of the authority to engage in third party prescribing and standing orders for this drug.
- The Board, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, is providing a sample Naloxone Standing Order Form. Individual licensees may wish to consult with their own legal counsel or risk management prior to issuing a standard order.
- Frequently asked questions about Naloxone are available for review.
- Additional information about Naloxone can be found at prescribetoprevent.com.
Clinical Resources
- Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is a strategy in the healthcare sector for reinforcing healthy behaviors, identifying problematic drug and alcohol use early, reducing substance misuse, and referring to treatment those who need it. This evidence based practice is a process with three main elements - Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment in medical settings.
- The NH Prescription Drug Monitoring Program offers prescribers and pharmacists a valuable tool for improving both patient care and the health and safety of our communities. By taking advantage of this resource, prescribers will not only better manage patients' health and prescription usage, but also promote public health and safety through the prevention and treatment for controlled substance abuse, and assist in the reduction of the diversion of controlled substances.
- The Federation of State Medical Boards offers a free CME entitled Extended-Release and Long-Acting Opioids: Assessing Risks, Safe Prescribing.
Treatment Tools
- Buprenorphine providers are available to assist patients in need of medication assisted treatment for a substance use disorder.
- Find providers offering withdrawal management, outpatient counseling, residential treatment, recovery supports and other types of services for people experiencing problems with alcohol and other drug use, including addiction.
- Additional resources for providers and patients can be found at drugfreenh.gov.
Board Approved Continuing Medical Education (CME) regarding Opioid Prescribing
Please visit the NH Medical Society website to find a list of approved CME regarding Opioid Prescribing.
In addition to the approved CME listed on the NH Medical Society’s website, New Hampshire licensees may undertake continuing medical education (CME) courses to satisfy the opioid prescribing competency requirement (biennially for physicians and annually for physician assistants) that meet the following criteria:
- AMA PRA Category 1 Credit or ACCME Accreditation; and
- The course abstract and learning objectives reference opioid prescribing for the management or treatment of pain, or for the treatment of opioid use disorders.
Should the CME certificate or submitted course information not appear to satisfy the two criteria, further information including the course abstract and learning objectives may be requested during the biennial audit.