Activity Description
A one hour self-paced web based learning module focusing on key issues in referring and prescribing. Co-sponsored by the PACE (Physician Assessment and clinical Education Program) and the California Department of Health Care Services, the module increases physician awareness of how mistakes in prescribing practices may contribute to fraud, waste and abuse. The program also reviews the importance of medical record documentation in prescribing and referring, and provides additional resources for physicians interested in obtaining additional information.

Target Audience
The target audience for this course includes physicians and osteopaths, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who refer and prescribe for Medi-Cal patients.

Method of Participation
The estimated time to complete this activity is 1 hour.  This activity is presented via the Medi-Cal Learning Portal. Users must create an account and pass the connection test.

Educational Objectives
Following completion of this educational activity, learners should be able to:

• Demonstrate a heightened awareness of how fraud, waste and abuse in prescribing and referring impacts patients and physicians.
• Physicians will better understand how medical record documentation is an essential step in the referral process.
• Finally, the physician will be able to improve monitoring of prescriptions and referrals and reduce practice vulnerabilities.

Statement of Need
Medi-Cal providers (physicians, osteopaths, nurse practitioners, physician assistants) have limited awareness of the connection between prescribing and referral practices and fraud, waste and abuse. A significant gap exists between intended purpose and actual use of prescribed medication. As indicated by current Centers for Disease control estimates, over 60% of drug overdoses now involve prescription medication which become diverted for street use or otherwise abused. This web-based training will educate physicians about the cause and effect of their prescribing and referring patterns. It will reinforce the role of documentation as an integral part of prescribing and referring. In addition, it will provide physicians additional resources to address and correct errors and vulnerabilities within their own practices.

Release Date: October 13, 2017

Expiration Date: October 30, 2022

Faculty

Course Director
William Norcross, M.D.
Executive Director
Physician Assessment and Clinical Education (PACE)
University of California, San Diego

Presenters
Eugene (Gene) Beed, M.D.
Medical Consultant I
Medical Review Branch
California Department of Health Care Services

Michael Bishop, M.D.
Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology
University of California, San Diego 
Member, Medical Board of California

Bradley H. Chesler, M.D.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Subspecialty Certified Pain Medicine

Sean Nordt, M.D.
Emergency Medicine Physician
Director of Toxicology at the LAC+USC Medical Center Emergency Department

Stephen Loyd, M.D.
Internist
Associate Chief of Staff of Education
Mountain Home VA Medical Center

Planning Committee

David Bazzo, M.D.
Director, Fitness for Duty
Physician Assessment and Clinical Education (PACE)
University of California, San Diego

Donna Gray-Bowersox
Health Program Manager III
Medical Review Branch
California Department of Health Care Services

William Norcross, M.D.
Executive Director
Physician Assessment and Clinical Education (PACE)
University of California, San Diego

Balance and Objectivity of Content
It is the policy of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine to ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor. All persons involved in the selection, development and presentation of content are required to disclose any real or apparent conflicts of interest. All conflicts of interest will be resolved prior to an educational activity being delivered to learners through one of the following mechanisms 1) altering the financial relationship with the commercial interest, 2) altering the individual's control over CME content about the products or services of the commercial interest, and/or 3) validating the activity content through independent peer review. All persons are also required to disclose any discussions of off label/unapproved uses of drugs or devices. Persons who refuse or fail to disclose are disqualified from participating in the CME activity. Participants will be asked to evaluate whether the speaker's outside interests reflect a possible bias in the planning or presentation of the activity. This information is used to plan future activities.

Disclosure
The following faculty, planning committee members, and project staff have indicated they have no financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to the content of this activity:

• David Bazzo, M.D.
• Donna Gray-Bowersox
• William Norcross, M.D.

The CME staff, meeting planners, editorial staff, planning committee, and CME committee reviewers do not have any relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Off-label Disclosure: This educational activity may contain discussion of unlabeled and/or investigational uses of agents that are not approved by the FDA. Please consult the prescribing information for each product.

The views and opinions expressed in this activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of California, San Diego.

Cultural Competency
This activity is in compliance with California Assembly Bill 1195 which requires CME courses with patient care components to include curriculum in the subjects of cultural and linguistic competencies. Cultural competency is defined as a set of integrated attitudes, knowledge, and skills that enables health care professionals or organizations to care effectively for patients from diverse cultures, groups, and communities. Linguistic competency is defined as the ability of a physician or surgeon to provide patients who do not speak English or who have limited ability to speak English, direct communication in the patient's primary language. Cultural and Linguistic Competency was incorporated into the planning of this activity. Additional resources on cultural and linguistic competency and information about AB1195 can be found on the UC San Diego CME website at http://cme.ucsd.edu

UC San Diego School of Medicine
Continuing Medical Education
9500 Gilman Drive, MC0947

Phone: (619) 534-3940 • Toll-Free: (888) 229-OCME (6263) • Fax: (619) 534-1896
E-mail: ocme@ucsd.edu • Website: http://cme.ucsd.edu