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State Medical Board of Ohio

Ohio Medical Board has adopted New Rules Related to Office Based Opioid Treatment

The State Medical Board of Ohio has adopted new rules related to Office Based Opioid Treatment (“OBOT”).  The new news take effect January 31, 2015.  The new rules require specific protocols, pretreatment examinations, and ongoing physician face-to-face examinations, testing and individualized treatment plans.  A copy of the new rules can be found at: http://med.ohio.gov/pdf/rules/NewRules/4731-11-12-eff-1-31-15.pdf.

The new rules include but are not limited to:

  1. Prior to providing OBOT, the physician must conduct an assessment of the patient that meets the requirements of the rule.
  2. The physician must practice in accordance with one of the protocols listed in the rule, and the diagnosis of an opioid disorder must be made utilizing the criteria in the DSM, 4th or 5th edition.
  3. The physician must develop an individualized treatment plan for the patient, require the patient to actively participate in appropriate behavioral counseling or treatment for addiction, and provide ongoing toxicological testing.
  4. The physician’s prescribing of the medication must comply with requirements that include, but are not limited to, prescribing only drugs specifically approved by the FDA for use in maintenance and detoxification treatment, prescribing no more than 16 milligrams of medication daily for a patient unless specified requirements are met, and accessing OARRS for each patient no less frequently than every 90 days.
  5. The physician must complete Category I CME related to substance abuse and addiction every two years, which will be accepted as part of the CME requirement for license renewal.

The above summary highlights certain requirements of the new rules and is not a substitute for the new rules.  The new rules can be found at: http://med.ohio.gov/pdf/rules/NewRules/4731-11-12-eff-1-31-15.pdf.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this post or the State Medical Board of Ohio in general, please contact one of the attorneys at Collis, Smiles and Collis at 614-486-3909 or email Todd@collislaw.com.