Substance Abuse Education for Delaware Nurses: Drug Diversion Training and Best-Practice Prescribing

Objectives: Discuss the epidemiology, trends, contributing factors, and social and economic impacts of prescription drug abuse and diversion. Identify risk factors for potential misuse/abuse of prescribed pain medications. List the classes of drugs that are most commonly abused and/or diverted. Discuss behaviors suggestive of aberrant drug-taking behavior. Compare/contrast acute and chronic pain. Summarize CDC guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain. Discuss Delaware safe opiate prescribing regulations. Describe initiatives aimed at preventing prescription drug abuse and diversion.

Description: REQUIRED FOR DELAWARE RN/LPN: Fulfills the requirement of 3 contact hours of continuing education on substance abuse for nurses in Delaware, focusing on prescription drug abuse and diversion, challenges in managing chronic pain, and best practices for prescribing controlled substances.