ABOUT

Prescription opioid pain relievers are essential to improving the quality of life for millions of Americans living with acute or chronic pain. Unfortunately, misuse, diversion, addiction and overdose of these drugs has created a serious public health epidemic in the United States. Since 1999 more than 760,000 people have died from an opioid overdose (107,622 overdose deaths in 2021). Opioids, primarily prescription pain relievers, heroin, and fentanyl, are the primary drugs associated with these deaths.

This public health crisis touches ALL regions of the country, socioeconomic groups, and ethnicities. The federal government and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have intensified efforts to ensure safer prescribing of opioids. CO*RE provides continuing education to healthcare professionals for safe opioid prescribing in alignment with the FDA’s mission, following the FDA Blueprint (September, 2018).   

Citation:  http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6450a3.htm?s_cid=mm6450a3_w and http://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html

RESULTS

Since 2013, CO*RE has delivered in-person and online Opioid Analgesics REMS education to more than 452,000 clinicians via more than 700 CE/CME activities (through December 2022).

CO*RE uses a Common Outcomes Framework to align the FDA Blueprint with CO*RE learning objectives, content, and assessment questions. This makes for consistency across courses and allows for more robust data analysis on educational impact.

CO*RE learner data is compiled in a custom dashboard, which allows us to identify patterns and look for additional gaps to be addressed.  For example, here are key learnings from our 2019 Outcomes Report:

  • Learners at in-person live activities scored higher on posttests than learners in online activities
  • Learners with individual DEA registration scored higher than those with institutional DEA or none
  • Learners in our Adaptive Learning course demonstrated 36% improvement in confidence in opioid rotation and in using the ORT OUD
  • Learners reported making more changes after the education than they had planned (see figure)
CO*RE is launching a new series of 45 educational programs in 2022-2023

CO*RE is launching a new series of 45 educational programs in 2022-2023, and will continue with our robust data analysis.

TESTIMONIALS

Here’s what people have to say about their experience:

“I was so encouraged by what I heard that I intend to overcome my own discouragement and make time to work this into my treatment of pain patients. I will re-evaluate my decision to stop treating chronic pain.”

– New Mexico Clinician

“One of the best activities of this sort I’ve seen.”

– Physician

“I like the videos of other healthcare providers having the difficult conversation with a patient – good modeling!”

– Physician

“The best CE I have completed so far. Thank you. Very clear but also very thorough – which is a tough balance to achieve. Thanks!”

– Nurse Practitioner

FUNDER INFORMATION

This educational activity is supported by an independent educational grant from the Opioid Analgesic REMS Program Companies (RPC). This activity is intended to be fully compliant with the Opioid Analgesic REMS education requirements issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Click here for more information about the Opioid Analgesics REMS.