More Opioid Restrictions, Healthcare Risk Management

01.09.2018

In an article published January 1, 2018 in Healthcare Risk Management, John Ivins discusses new risks the opioid crisis will bring in 2018. He explains that many states are revising their prescribing guidelines to be much stricter, thereby introducing liability risks for health care organizations. “[The guidelines] include things like physical exam information that must be in the chart, to communications you’re supposed to have when prescribing an opioid, and data that must be added to the chart at the point of refill,” he told the publication in an interview. Ivins encourages risk managers to create policies that govern compliance with these new requirements, and programs to ensure that the changes are understood and acknowledged by any physician on staff or with privileges. “This may require bylaw changes for medical staff, and the risk manager may have to be the one suggesting those updates,” Ivins added.