Substance Misuse Prevention and Responsible Opioid Prescribing—the Role of the Dentist

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

This virtual educational activity is jointly provided by the Connecticut Hospital Association in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Target Audience: Dentists, oral surgeons, dental hygienists, dental technicians, physicians, nurses, social workers, quality professionals, risk managers, healthcare executives, pharmacists, and all healthcare professionals working with women and families impacted by trauma and addiction.

Description: Compassion for patients is of utmost importance – balancing this compassion with social responsibility is of equal importance. In the context of opioid prescribing, social responsibility involves safeguarding patients, their families, and society against drug misuse, abuse, diversion, substance use disorders, and drug overdose.

This presentation will discuss the responsibility of dental clinicians in combating the current opioid epidemic through understanding the development of substance use disorders, screening patients for opioid misuse risks, and adopting sound and socially responsible opioid prescribing guidelines and policies.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

• Recognize the importance of screening patients at risk of opioid misuse and dependence
• Describe the association between consecutive opioid use, the likelihood of long-term opioid use and subsequent substance use disorders
• Recognize the risks to patients and society associated with opioid prescribing
• Discuss the importance of balancing compassion for patients with providing adequate analgesia in a socially responsible manner
• Explain evidence-based information available to assist in making clinically and socially sound opioid-related decisions

Elias Mikael Chatah, DMD, PharmB, MS, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dental Medicine, UConn Health, School of Dental Medicine

Elias Mikael Chatah, DMD, PharmB, MS, hails from Melbourne, Australia. He is a graduate of The University of Sydney Dental School and Monash University College of Pharmacy (Melbourne, Australia). Dr. Chatah has worked in private and hospital pharmacies and private dental practices in Australia, and has held academic positions in the U.S. following the completion of Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) and General Practice (GPR) residencies. During his GPR, he enrolled in a master’s degree in Medical Management at the University of Rochester, NY, which he completed in 2016. Dr. Chatah has expertise in dental pharmacotherapeutics, dental prescribing patterns, and the design of pain management protocols, with significant background and training in pharmacy practice. At the UConn School of Dental Medicine, he has led a number of initiatives that involved providing dental clinicians with opioid prescribing education and the management of orofacial pain. In 2018 and 2019, Dr. Chatah developed a new graduate-level clinical pharmacology course that focuses on opioid education, substance use disorders, the dental management of patients with substance use disorders, and the management of orofacial pain. In addition to the current development of a new clinical pharmacology course for dental students at UConn, he is involved in projects related to opioid education for the dental community in Connecticut. Dr. Chatah currently serves as a peer reviewer for MedEdPORTAL, MEDLINE-indexed, open-access journal of teaching and learning resources in the health professions published by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), in partnership with the American Dental Education Association. He has also authored two chapters in the American Dental Association’s Dental Drug Handbook: A Quick Reference (ISBN - 978-1-68447-046-4) and co-authored a number of articles.

Activity Goal

This activity is designed to address the following core and team competencies:

Patient care, medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication, system-based practice, patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, and roles and responsibilities.

Disclosure

The accredited provider adheres to accreditation requirements regarding industry support of continuing medical education. Disclosure of the planning committee and faculty’s commercial relationships will be made known at the activity. Speakers are required to openly disclose any limitations of data and/or any discussion of any off-label, experimental, or investigational uses of drugs or devices in their presentations.

All employees and activity planners in control of content have indicated that they have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Elias Mikael Chatah, DMD, PharmB, MS

Assistant Clinical Professor of Dental Medicine

UConn Health, School of Dental Medicine

Disclosure: No relevant financial relationships to disclose

Non-Endorsement Statement

The accredited provider verifies that sound education principles have been demonstrated in the development of this educational offering as evidenced by the review of its objectives, teaching plan, faculty, and activity evaluation process. The accredited provider does not endorse or support the actual opinions or material content as presented by the speaker(s) and/or sponsoring organization.

ACCREDITED CONTINUING EDUCATION

Accreditation Statement

Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Cine-Med and the Connecticut Hospital Association. Cine-Med is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians

Cine-Med designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses

This educational activity is approved for 1 contact hour for nurses.

Pharmacists

This activity has been accredited for 0.1 CEU (1 credit hour) of continuing education credit.

Due to CPE Monitor reporting requirements, all pharmacists’ credits must be tracked and submitted within 30 days of the activity.

Dentists & Allied Dental Staff

Cine-Med is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider (January 1 - December 31, 2021). ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.

Cine-Med designates this activity for 1 continuing education credit.

All other healthcare professionals will receive a Certificate of Participation. For information on the applicability and acceptance of Certificates of Participation for activities designated for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, consult your professional licensing board.

Support

This activity is being provided independent of industry support.