AAFP, NAM Partner to Host Opioid Tapering Webinar

The webinar, which is scheduled to run from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ET, will address a broad range of topics, including best practices, research gaps and future considerations to support tapering patients on long-term opioid therapy. All AAFP members are invited to attend.

The session will be moderated by Helen Burstin, M.D., M.P.H., executive vice president and CEO of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, and will feature presentations from expert panelists

• AAFP President Ada Stewart, M.D.;
• David O’Gurek, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia; and
• Robert “Chuck” Rich Jr., M.D., medical director of Bladen Medical Associates in Elizabethtown, N.C., and the AAFP’s representative on the AMA Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse.

Rich, it should be noted, spent more than a year leading a work group in writing a discussion paper on opioid tapering. NAM published the group’s paper, of which Rich was the lead author, in August.

Following the presentations, panelists will participate in a moderated discussion and field live questions from the audience.

Stewart encouraged family physicians to tune in and learn about education, tools and resources related to best practices for opioid tapering. “Also, the webinar will highlight the practical aspects of shared decision-making and effectively communicating with patients, families and caregivers,” she said.

Although participants are required to register for the webinar, there is no registration deadline.

For individuals who cannot watch the webinar live, a recording and transcript will be posted on the NAM website after the session concludes.

The webinar is part of NAM’s Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic, a program designed to develop and provide solutions for reducig opioid misuse and improving outcomes in affected individuals, families and communities.