The Association on March 26 announced a new interim policy on opioids that supports prescription limits and mandatory continuing education for dentists.

The new policy, officially titled Interim Board Policy on Opioid Prescribing, is believed to be one of the first of its kind from a major health professional organization.

"I call upon dentists everywhere to double down on their efforts to prevent opioids from harming our patients and their families," said ADA President Joseph P. Crowley. "This new policy demonstrates the ADA's firm commitment to help fight the country's opioid epidemic while continuing to help patients manage dental pain."

In the interim policy, the Association says it supports the following:

•Mandatory continuing education on prescribing opioids and other controlled substances.
•Prescribing limits on opioid dosage and duration of no more than 7 days for the treatment of acute pain, consistent with the CDC's evidence-based guidelines.
•Dentists registering with and utilizing prescription drug monitoring programs to promote the appropriate use of opioids and deter misuse and abuse.

In 2016, opioids (including prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl) killed more than 42,000 people—more than any year on record—and 40% of those deaths involved a prescription pain reliever, according to the CDC.

The White House has made reducing the number of US deaths attributed to opioids a key priority of the Trump Administration and Congress has followed suit. To date, more than 130 opioids bills have been introduced in Congress since the 115th Congress began in Jan. 2017.

At the national level, the ADA has been pursuing common sense policies to keep opioid pain relievers from harming dental patients and their families. This includes in 2016 successfully lobbying the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act that supports a number of activities to help prevent opioid misuse and abuse. In March, Dr. Crowley was part of a select group of health-care organization representatives invited to participate in national opioids summit on the topic.

At the upcoming ADA and American Student Dental Association Lobby Day, April 8-10 in Washington, DC, dentists and students will advocate together on dentistry's role in preventing opioid abuse.

The ADA Board of Trustees adopted the interim policy after it was drafted and submitted by the ADA Council on Government Affairs during its March meeting. The council also received guidance on crafting the interim policy from the ADA Councils on Scientific Affairs, Dental Education, and Licensure and Dental Practice.