Pain Medications in the Medical Practice: A Safety and Liability Review

Pain Medications in the Medical Practice:
A Safety and Liability Review

March 19th, 2013
12:30-1:45 PM
Online Webinar

Synopsis:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fatal poisonings from opioid overdoses tripled to nearly 14,000 nationwide between 1999 and 2006 and opioid-related emergency department visits doubled to more than 300,000 between 2004 and 2008. Perhaps even more disturbing for physicians than these enormous statistics are the number of doctors who have been convicted in criminal matters for the over-prescription of painkillers. Physicians face the challenges of managing patient pain daily. In this webinar, the speakers will present some of the risks physicians should consider when managing pain and outline specific ways participants can actively reduce their risk as they treat this medical condition. Topics covered include:

• Recognize the challenge of pain medication management within primary care practices as outlined by claims data

• Identify "red flag" situations • Become aware of medical board guidelines for prescribing opioids

• Become aware of resources available to help physicians as they manage patient pain and addiction issues

Price:
Members: Free
MIEC Members: Free
Non-Members: $199.00

Registration:
Register online by clicking "Add to Cart" below.

Presenters:

Gary Okamoto, MD -- Dr. Okamoto is a member of the MIEC Board and its Loss Prevention Committee, whose mission it is to help our physician policyholders improve patient safety and reduce their own risk. As a board certified physiatrist, he has evaluated and treated many patients with non-cancer chronic pain over thirty years of both inpatient and outpatient care. Within the medical rehabilitation model, he has advocated for a functional "rehab approach" to assessing the effectiveness of individualized treatment and the employment of non-pharmaceutical alternatives to drug therapy. His years of administrative experience in quality improvement have taught him the value of risk stratification and management in treating the chronic pain patient.

Michael D. Anderson -- Michael D. Anderson is a Senior Claims Representative with Medical Insurance Exchange of California (MIEC) in Oakland, CA. He holds a B.S. in Biology-Physiology from Penn State University and worked in clinical research before entering the field of medical malpractice defense. Michael has been managing medical professional liability claims for physician-owned companies for over 13 years.

Claudia A. Dobbs - Claudia Dobbs is Manager of the Loss Prevention Department at Medical Insurance Exchange of California. She has worked in MIEC's loss prevention department since 1992, where she works closely with the Loss Prevention staff researching current developments in medical-legal issues; performing claims prevention office surveys; presenting seminars on loss prevention topics; and publishing MIEC's newsletters, brochures and other educational materials. Ms. Dobbs received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Speech/Communications from California State University in Hayward, California, and is also a certified paralegal.