The Boards of Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, and Nursing have proposed rules and rule changes to govern the use of medication assisted treatment in opioid use disorder (Chapter 12) and the prescribing of controlled substances for the treatment of acute and chronic pain (Chapter 21). The public comment period deadline is Friday, January 17, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.

Proposed Chapter 12, to govern treatment of opioid use disorder with medications such as buprenorphine, includes definitions, qualifications for those who seek to provide such treatment, and specific, detailed standards of practice for providers of Office-based Opioid Treatment (OBOT). It may be found here.

Chapter 21, governing the use of controlled substances in the treatment of acute and chronic pain, has been in effect since March of 2018. The new proposals cover several modifications of the rule with which any clinician who prescribes controlled substances for pain must be familiar. Those modifications include new exclusions for custodial care and hospice care and a recodification of the statutory exemptions in rule form. Notably, no changes have been made in the requirement that all clinicians licensed by the Board of Licensure in Medicine take 3 hours of CME in opioid prescribing regardless of whether they prescribe opioids or are authorized to do so by virtue of having a DEA number. The new form of Chapter 21, with proposed changes noted, may be found here.