AOA Okays Further Study of Combined Match

▸ Long-acting-opioid policy. Delegates passed a policy on long-acting opioid medication, stating that all patients have a basic right to medically appropriate intervention and/or treatment of acute and chronic pain and that it is “the right of all physicians to provide medically-appropriate intervention and treatment modalities that will achieve safe and effective pain control for all their patients.” The action follows formal opposition by the College of Osteopathic Family Physicians Board of Governors to “any federal law or regulation that attempts to limit the ability of family physicians to legally prescribe, administer, or dispense controlled substances.”

▸ Counterfeit-drug education resolution. Delegates assented to a resolution that supports the efforts by the Food and Drug Administration to educate osteopathic physicians on how to identify counterfeit drugs, which account for “approximately 10% of the global medicine market.” DOs are encouraged to report counterfeit drugs through the FDA's Counterfeit Alert Network.

▸ Call for end to consumer drug ads. Delegates voted to encourage pharmaceutical companies to stop product-specific direct-to-consumer advertising. The resolution asks governments to adopt policies or legislation to promote disease-specific public health education as the focus of such advertising.

▸ Statement on minority health disparities. Delegates adopted a position statement on minority health disparities aimed at training culturally competent physicians and “increasing representation for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and individuals of disadvantaged backgrounds.”

▸ Support for EHRs. Delegates voted to support the implementation of electronic health records with e-prescribing capabilities and osteopathic principles and practices terminology. Delegates also backed the use of systems, developed by certified vendors, that meet current national standards.