Gottlieb Wants Mandatory Doctor Training for Pain Management

FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb has told CNN that U.S. doctors should undergo mandatory training on pain management and the prescribing of opioid analgesics. He said that too many doctors continue to treat patients based on outdated training and said that training should occur when a doctor obtains a Drug Enforcement Administration license to be able to prescribe controlled substances. The education should include treatment for addiction, Gottlieb said.

“So at the very time you’re educating them about the appropriate prescribing of opioids, you’re also educating them about how to spot signs of abuse and treat it if they do have a patient who becomes addicted to opioids,” he said.

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