BOSTON (AP) — Four medical schools in Massachusetts are teaming up to improve training for doctors in pain management and curb the over-prescription of opioid medications.
Gov. Charlie Baker discussed the effort on Wednesday with the deans of Harvard Medical School, Boston University School of Medicine, Tufts School of Medicine and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The schools combined educate about 3,000 aspiring doctors each year.
Experts in the field say patients who become addicted to pain medication often go on to abuse heroin or other drugs, sometimes with deadly consequences.
A report from an opioids task force appointed by Baker included a recommendation that doctors receiving additional training on pain management.
The schools say they’ll work together to review current curricula for medical students on safe prescribing.
There are non-medication approaches to some types of chronic pain that might also be introduced when students start to learn about pain management: http://www.studentdoctor.net/2014/12/coming-to-a-future-near-you-neuromodulation-a-multi-specialty-field/