Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, in partnership with the deans of the commonwealth's four medical schools and its medical society, Monday released a new set of medical school core competencies to address the growing opioid crisis.
The set of 10 competencies will affect 3,000 medical students. They address primary prevention of prescription drug misuse by requiring medical students to be competent in evaluating patient pain and risk for substance use disorders, as well as identifying alternative treatments.
The competencies also address secondary prevention, or treating patients who are at-risk for substance use disorders, which includes competencies in patient referrals, pain management and substance use disorder treatment planning, and patient-centered counseling.
Lastly, they address tertiary prevention, or managing substance use disorders as a chronic disease and eliminating stigma around them. This includes recognizing risk factors for opioid overdose, applying the chronic disease model to treatment, recognizing stigma and bias, as well as social determinants that contribute to the issue.
"These educational standards represent an innovative and forward-thinking contribution to the state's multi-faceted strategy to curb the opioid epidemic," Gov. Baker said in a statement. "Massachusetts is again setting a new standard by providing our medical students with a strong foundation in treating those with substance use disorders."
See the full list of competencies here.
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