2019 Medicare Part D Opioid Policies: Training Materials from CMS

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will implement new opioid policies for Medicare drug plans on January 1. The new policies include:

• Improved safety alerts when patients fill opioid prescriptions at the pharmacy
• Drug management programs for patients at risk for misuse or abuse of opioids or other drugs 

CMS posted new training materials, including slide decks and tip sheets for:

• Prescribers
• Pharmacists
• Patients

CMS also released an MLN Matters^® Article: A Prescriber’s Guide to the New Medicare Part D Opioid Overutilization Policies for 2019. Visit the Reducing Opioid Misuse webpage for more information on CMS’ overall strategy.

For additional information, check out the Society’s recently released Opioids in Nursing Homes position statement.