The draft best practices, unveiled earlier this month, offer recommendations for prescribers and pharmacists who prescribe or dispense opioid prescriptions across West Virginia. The initiative is designed to reduce misuse, while preserving legitimate patient access to necessary treatment.
“The Board applauds Attorney General Morrisey and his staff for the efforts taken to further support best practices related to opioid prescribing and use in West Virginia,” said Laura Rhodes, executive director of the state’s RN Board. “An informed partnership between provider and care recipient will help result in the best outcome when managing pain and hopefully reduce the tragedies related to misuse.”
The guidelines ask pharmacists to verify the legitimacy of each patient, prescriber and prescription, in addition to ensuring the medication, dose, quantity and any mix thereof is safe and appropriate.
Likewise, prescribers are encouraged to regularly monitor their patients’ use of opioid drugs; utilize physical exams and urine tests to spot evidence of misuse; and educate each patient about their risks of opioid treatment, only then approving such a prescription after a screening and consideration of non-opioid alternatives.
The best practices project underscores the importance of both professions utilizing the state’s controlled substance monitoring database; educating patients about safe use, storage and disposal of opioid drugs; and incorporating naloxone into opioid treatment discussions.
“I want to thank the Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses for its support regarding this initiative,” Morrisey said in a statement. “Having strong support from those in the community is what will help us overcome this epidemic.”
Those supporting the initiative and/or in attendance for its unveiling include: Senate President Bill Cole, Delegate Chris Stansbury and Delegate Joe Ellington, along with the West Virginia Board of Medicine, West Virginia Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, West Virginia Board of Examiners for Licensed Practical Nurses, West Virginia Society of Health Systems Pharmacists, West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine, West Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association, West Virginia State Medical Association, West Virginia Retailers Association, West Virginia Primary Care Association and West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians, West Virginia Fraternal Order of Police and West Virginia Chiefs of Police Association, along with representatives from Cabell Huntington Hospital, Marshall University School of Pharmacy, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and Charleston Police Department.