ADA Partners with DEA on Opioid Epidemic Webinar

The ADA and DEA are offering a three-part webinar series on the proper handling of controlled substances to combat the opioid epidemic.

The American Dental Association is partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration to present a free three-part webinar series available for both dentists and the dental team.

Part one will address the opioid epidemic and how dental professionals can help mitigate the crisis. Parts two and three of the series will help dentists learn about the DEA’s closed system of distribution and record-keeping and what to know about prescribing controlled substances.

“The ADA is proud to work with the DEA in presenting this series on a very important topic,” said James Hoddick, DDS, chair of the council of dental practice. “While our attention has rightfully been focused on navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis has not abated and dentists have a crucial role to play in doing our part to stem the epidemic, and this series will help.”

The first webinar, scheduled for July 13 and streaming from noon- 1 pm CT, will be recorded and will be available soon thereafter on the Providers Clinical Support System site at pcssNOW.org after streaming.

Part two is set for Aug. 23, and the third is Sept. 22, also scheduled for noon – 1pm CT. They will not be available for viewing after they live stream.

The first webinar, titled “Drug Trends — Where Are We Today?” features presenter Linda Stocum, staff coordinator from the DEA Diversion Control, Liaison Section. The program will clarify what the DEA is and what they do.

Attendees will learn where the U.S. is in the opioid crisis, which drugs to be aware of, summarize DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign, and be able to find pertinent information on DEA regulations and other resources.

The second webinar is titled “DEA Closed System of Distribution, Record Keeping and Sanctions.” The webinar is hosted by Kimberly Daniels, staff coordinator from the DEA Diversion Control, Liaison Section.

It will cover DEA record-keeping regulations; DEA inspections, and examples of possible sanctions for violations of the Controlled Substance Act.

The third webinar, titled “Prescribing Controlled Substances” is presented by Dwayne Jeffcoat, staff coordinator from the DEA Diversion Control, Liaison Section.

At the conclusion of the third webinar, attendees will know what the DEA expects from dentists when prescribing, learn about new DEA regulations, and be able to summarize a few dental controlled substance prescribing patterns.

All three webinars are free and offer 1 hour of continuing education credit each for those who attend the live webinar.

The DEA is hosting the webinar series on its own WebEx platform and promoting the education to dentists in their database.

Additionally, the ADA has recently created two new downloadable education resources to aid dental professionals when discussing pain management with patients: the Chairside Pain Management Discussion and Chairside Pain Management Checklist.

For more information and resources on opioids, visit ADA.org/Wellness and click on the Opioid tab.