State Specific Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances & Medical Devices

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to provide the student with an opportunity to explore the most recent guidelines and recommendations in the student’s state of practice for pain management therapies and education; as well as to understand specific state regulations governing controlled substance prescriptions and medical devices.

Course Outcomes

This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:

• Identify and describe at least one current state specific guideline for pain management therapy and education.
• Explore other organizations or pain initiatives that are offered by the state (if applicable) and federal bodies.
• Describe state specific laws that apply to the authority to prescribe controlled substances and medical devices.
• Explore the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP).

Due Date

Assignment should be submitted to the Week 2 State Specific Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances & Medical Devices dropbox by Sunday 11:59 p.m. MST at the end of Week 2. 

This assignment will follow the late assignment policy specified in the course syllabus.

Students are expected to submit assignments by the time they are due. Assignments submitted after the due date and time will receive a deduction of 10% of the total points possible for that assignment for each day the assignment is late. Assignments will be accepted, with penalty as described, up to a maximum of three days late, after which point a zero will be recorded for the assignment.

In the event of a situation that prevents timely submission of an assignment, students may petition their instructor for a waiver of the late submission grade reduction. The instructor will review the student’s rationale for the request and make a determination based on the merits of the student’s appeal. Consideration of the student’s total course performance to date will be a contributing factor in the determination. Students should continue to attend class, actively participate, and complete other assignments while the appeal is pending.

Total Points Possible

This assignment is worth 125 points.

Preparing the Assignment

1. The State Specific Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances & Medical Devices assignment is worth 125 points and will be graded on the quality of required components as summarized in the directions and grading criteria/rubric.
2. Follow the directions and the grading criteria located in the rubric closely. Any questions about this assignment may be posted under the Q & A Forum or emailed to your faculty.
3. The document provided should be used and your answers provided within the table provided on this document Links to an external site..
4. Sources/links should be obtained directly from the state’s regulatory organization(s).
5. It is recommended that you keep a copy of this assignment to provide to potential employers or your Board of Nursing to demonstrate your knowledge of your state laws.

Requirements:

1. Guidelines and recommendations for your state:
   In response to the opioid epidemic, individual states have developed and adopted voluntary guidelines or recommendations for the treatment of acute and chronic non-cancer pain. Based on research done on the state where you will practice clinically, include the following:
   
   1. Provide the name of your practicing state’s organization, group or task force that created guidelines or recommendations for pain management therapies and education.
   2. Briefly describe an overview of its development and include a web address where this information can be found. If your state does not have guidelines, discuss a federal guideline. (Note: you may need to contact your state’s board of nursing, pharmacy, or medicine if you cannot locate it on your own).
   3. Some states have multiple organizations or initiatives (ex: Ohio) in place to combat the opioid epidemic and advocate for safer opioid prescribing. Explore whether your state has other resources, groups or organizations where prescribers can reference best practices for pain management treatment. If applicable, provide a brief overview of the group’s recommendations or initiatives. If your state does not have another state-specific resource, discuss the guidelines published by the American Pain Society OR Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   4. Discuss when the use of opioids is appropriate and for what duration should they be prescribed? Provide a reference for your response. (This question is worth 13 points. 5 points for when opioids are appropriate, 5 points for a safe duration of use, and 3 points for a current edition APA formatted reference.)
2. State specific laws on controlled substance prescribing for the nurse practitioner:
   Research your state laws on advanced practice nurses’ authority to prescribe controlled substances. Based on research done on the state where you will practice clinically, include the following:
   
   1. Identify the law, rule, code, or statute that describes the advanced practice nurse’s authority to prescribe controlled substances in your state.
   2. Discuss the provisions of the law, rule, code, or statute with regard to the following:
      
      1. Conditions or limits on prescribing schedule I-V controlled substances.
      2. Requirements (if any) in documentation for treating acute and chronic pain.
      3. Are there specific requirements for advanced practice nurses to reference the state’s prescription drug monitoring database before prescribing a controlled substance? If so, what are they?
3. State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP):
   Research your state’s PDMP* and provide the following information:
   
   1. Name of the state’s program.
   2. Website for the state PMDP.
   3. Discuss the registration requirements and process.
   4. Discuss the standards and procedures for the access and review of database information.
4. State specific laws on medical devices prescribing for the nurse practitioner:
   Research your state laws on advanced practice nurses’ authority to prescribe medical devices.  These are also called Durable Medical Equipment (DME). Based on research done on the state where you will practice clinically, include the following:
   
   1. Identify the law, rule, code, or statute that describes the advanced practice nurse’s authority to prescribe medical devices or DME in your state.
   2. Discuss the provisions of the law, rule, code, or statute regarding the following:
      
      1. Conditions or limits on prescribing medical devices or DME.
      2. Requirements (if any) in documentation needed to support order of medical devices or DME.