In This Issue
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
	Professionalism Conference Draws Enthusiastic Crowd and Impressive Reviews
	News and Views from the 2017 AMA Annual Meeting
	AMA Launches Opioid Education Microsite
	MMA Annual Benefit Golf Tournament Monday, July 10, 2017
	HHS Update on WannaCry and New OCR Resources on Reporting After Cyberattacks
	MMA Files Comments on Licensing Board Rules on Use of Controlled Substances for Treatment of Pain
	FDA Requests Halt to Opana® ER Sales
	Is Your Staff Checking BP Correctly?
128TH MAINE LEGISLATURE
	Weekly MMA Legislative Committee Conference Call Information
	Legislative Highlights of the Week
	Call Your State Representatives: L.D. 46 Eliminating Physician Exemption from Jury Duty Passed the Senate!
UPCOMING EVENTS
	June 20 Webinar: Recognizing When Patients Have Concerns About the Cost of Their Health Care
	National Medicare Education Program June 28
	Online Learning Opportunities Offering CME Credits - from the Northern New England Practice Transformation Network
	Save the Date: MICIS Presentation on Opioid Prescribing in Auburn on Wednesday, July 19
	16th Annual Downeast Ophthalmology Symposium - September 15-17
	Patient Safety Academy - September 29
	Maine Providers Standing Up for Healthcare Schedules Press Conference for this Friday in Lewiston
	Register Now for the MMA and Maine Health Management Coalition 2017 Symposium on October 11
HEALTHCARE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
	Family Medicine Physician - Pittsfield, ME
	Primary Care Physician - Eastern Maine Medical Center
	Outpatient Only - Internal Medicine with Loan Repayment & Sign-on Bonus
	Part-time Clinical & Part-time Research Position in Central Maine
	Family Medicine Physician - Winthrop, ME
	DO or MD Physician - Augusta, ME
	Family Medicine Physician - Waterville, ME
	Family Medicine Physician/Clinician Leader - Portland, ME
	Family Medicine - Windham, ME
	Family Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Wanted
	Physician - Lubec, ME
	Nurse Practitioner - Swift River Family Medicine - Rumford, ME
	Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner - Bridgton, ME
	Hospitalist - Brunswick, Maine
	Gastroenterologist - Brunswick, Maine
	Ophthalmologist - Brunswick, Maine

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• Some portions of the rule are inconsistent with Chapter 488 and the anticipated amendments to Chapter 488. These should be amended to conform to the law.

• By adopting the principle of Universal Precautions and proposing to delete the current language in Chapter 21 which states that the Boards will not take disciplinary action against a prescriber for deviating from the rule when contemporaneous medical records document reasonable cause for deviation, the proposed rule removes the critical element of judgment from medical practice insofar as the prescribing of opioid medical is concerned.  

• The obligation for clinicians to offer or arrange evidence-based treatment for patients with opioid use disorder is unrealistic in some parts of the state where services are sparse or non-existent.

• In many portions of the proposed rule references are made to controlled substances when the reference should be to the narrower term opioids.

• The requirement of Universal Precautions removes the critical element of medical judgment and is overly broad.

• The obligation regarding managing withdrawal or referring to an addiction specialist is unrealistic given the short supply of such specialists in the state.

• There should be reasonable exceptions to the universal requirements for treatment agreements, urine drug screens and random pill counts.

• Continuing Medical Education requirements should be consistent among the boards.