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August 24, 2016

Opiate training practices extended to PAs, community health centers

Core competency standards for healthcare students on how to deal with prescription drug misuse have been extended to advanced practice nurses, physician assistant programs and community health centers, the Baker administration announced Monday.

The standards, already in place at dental and medical schools in state, including the University of Massachusetts Medical School, were implemented to ensure that healthcare students in Massachusetts receive the best possible training in prevention strategies for prescription drug misuse, according to a press release.

The expansion of the standards is happening because of new partnerships between the Baker administration and the state's Advanced Practice Nursing programs and professional organizations; physician assistant programs; the Massachusetts Association of Physician Assistants; the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers; and all affiliated community health centers. The core competencies will now reach the 2,000 enrolled advanced practice nursing students, 900 enrolled physician assistant students and 50 community health centers within the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers.

The advanced practice registered nurse core competencies include primary, secondary and tertiary prevention practices, including patient evaluation, discussion of substance use disorder treatment options, and eliminating the stigma and building awareness of social determinants of substance use disorders, according to the release.

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