We pledge to...

1. Educate ourselves and our team, to refer patients to appropriate resources or implement into our practice, how to:
   • Adhere to evidence-based treatment guidelines (state and/or national).
   • Treat patient-specific pain safely and effectively.
   • Identify and treat/refer persons with substance abuse/opioid misuse issues. This should include creating opportunities to further the practice of substance use screenings and referrals.
   • Align with local pharmacies and community-based organizations that offer naloxone dispensing and education and/or provide Medication-Assisted Treatment*.
   • Coordinate with Medication Therapy Management (MTM)** services to assist with appropriate prescribing, patient education, risk stratification, and medication monitoring.
2. Ensure persons with opioid use disorder are treated in a respectful and person-centered manner. Improvements may include:
   • Generating opportunities for patient protections providing better information about the risks and benefits of taking prescription opioids.
   • Referring to, creating, or expanding counseling and support service connections for persons and their families who have overdosed on opioids and been revived by naloxone.
   • Identifying connections to pharmacist and behavioral health resources to maximize person and family engagement with community support services.
   • Developing accountability contracts in collaboration with individuals, which includes that they only use one pharmacy and one opioid prescriber for needed pain medications.
3. Leverage and align with existing programs and initiatives, as appropriate, to combat opioid misuse such as:
   • Relevant national and state laws, regulations, and initiatives related to opioids
   • States' Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)
4. Identify and report on successes and best practices and spread within CMS networks.

* Medication assisted treatment (MAT) is the use of medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies for the treatment of substance use disorders.
** Medication therapy management service(s) (MTMS) describe face-to-face patient assessment and intervention as appropriate, by a pharmacist, upon request. MTMS is provided to optimize the response to medications or to manage treatment-related medication interactions or complications.