- All authorized prescribers of Schedule II through IV controlled substances must register with the CURES data system by July 1, 2016. Free Webinar available from CMA.
- The CA End of Life Option Act effective date is June 9, 2016. Download and read the CMA guidelines.
- CDC guidelines pertaining to prescribing opioids just released. Download and read the guidelines.
CURES 2.0 Webinar Now Available On-Demand
Under California law, all individuals practicing in California who possess both a state regulatory board license authorized to prescribe, dispense, furnish or order controlled substances and a Drug Enforcement Administration Controlled Substance Registration Certificate (DEA Certificate) must register for the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) by July 1, 2016.
The California Medical Association recently co-hosted a webinar with the Department of Justice to help physicians navigate the CURES 2.0 registration process. The webinar provides an overview of key user features of the updated system and tips on how to avoid technical issues.
This webinar is now available on demand in CMA's online resource library and is free to all interested parties.
New! California’s End of Life Option Act
On October 5, 2015, California became the fifth state in the nation to allow physicians to prescribe terminally ill patients medication to end their lives. ABX2-15, the "End of Life Option Act," permits terminally ill adult patients with the capacity to make medical decisions to be prescribed an aid-in-dying medication if certain conditions are met. The law takes effect on June 9, 2016.
In an effort to help physicians and patients navigate the End of Life Option Act, the California Medical Association (CMA) has published new legal guidance in a question-and-answer format intended to help physicians and patients understand this new complex law. Throughout the 15-page document, both straightforward questions as well as those without answers yet are included. CMA acknowledges that the resource will evolve as the law is implemented.
The CMA On-Call document #3459 is free through CMA’s website at "The California End of Life Option Act."
New CDC Opioid Guideline for PCPs
More people died from drug overdoses in 2014 than in any year on record. The majority of drug overdose deaths (more than six out of ten) involve an opioid.[i] On March 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued final recommendations for prescribing opioids for chronic pain to combat an epidemic of prescription overdoses.
CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, said clinicians play a key part in reducing the rate of addiction and death associated with these drugs. "The prescription overdose epidemic is doctor-driven," he said. "It can be reversed in part by doctors' actions."
The guideline provides recommendations for Primary Care Clinicians who are prescribing opioids for chronic pain outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life-care. Read More: CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
[i] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Increases in Drug and Opioid Overdose Deaths — United States, 2000–2014. MMWR 2015; 64;1-5.
Submitted by Ann Whitehead, RN, JD
Vice President, Risk Management & Patient Safety
If you have questions about this article, please contact us. This information should not be considered legal advice applicable to a specific situation. Legal guidance for individual matters should be obtained from a retained attorney.