Opioid Prescribing Work Group

The Opioid Prescribing Work Group (OPWG) is an advisory body of experts convened to forward DHS’ Opioid Prescribing Improvement Program (OPIP). The OPIP plays a crucial role in Minnesota’s response to the crisis of prescription opioid misuse and abuse, namely addressing inappropriate prescribing behavior among Minnesota health care providers.

The work group will help shape the program by recommending statewide opioid prescribing protocols for various pain scenarios, such as acute, post-acute, and chronic pain. They will also recommend a quality improvement program within the Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP). The OPIP was created in 2015 at the direction of the governor and the Legislature, and the OPWG is convened through 2017.

Appointing authority: Commissioner of Human Services.
Compensation: $200 honorarium plus reimbursement for mileage and parking.
(Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.0638)

Work group members
The information in parenthesis indicates the statutorily set membership categories.
- Julie L. Cunningham, PharmD, BCPP, Mayo Clinic Health System (nonphysician health care professional who treats pain)
- Sen. Chris Eaton, RN, Minnesota State Senate (consumer representative)
- Tiffany Elton, PharmD, NCPS, Fond du Lac Human Services Pharmacy (pharmacist)
- Dana Farley, MS, Minnesota Department of Health (nonvoting)
- Rebekah Forrest, RN, CNP, Native American Community Clinic (nurse practitioner)
- Ifeyinwa Nneka Igwe, MD, Essentia Health (physician)
- Chris Johnson, MD, Allina Health (Health Services Advisory Council member)
- Ernest Lampe, MD, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI medical consultant; nonvoting)
- Matthew Lewis, MD (not practicing), Winona (consumer representative)
- Pete Marshall, PharmD, HealthPartners (health plan pharmacy director)
- Murray McAllister, PsyD, LP, Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute (nonphysician health care professional who treats pain)
- Richard Nadeau, DDS, MPH, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry (dentist)
- Mary Beth Reinke, PharmD, MSA, Department of Human Services (DHS pharmacy unit; nonvoting)
- Charles Reznikoff, MD, Hennepin County Medical Center (mental health professional)
- Alvaro Sanchez, MD, Medica (health plan medical director)
- Jeffrey Schiff, MD, MBA, Minnesota Department of Human Services (MHCP medical director; nonvoting)
- Detective Charles Strack, Little Falls Police Department (law enforcement)
- Lindsey Thomas, MD, Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office (medical examiner)
Calendar and directions
The OPWG meets on the third Thursday of each month from noon to 3 p.m. All meetings are at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, 444 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55155.

All meetings are open to the public. To attend in person, you must register in advance with OPWG staff in order to arrange for a visitor’s badge and escort to the meeting.

2017 meeting schedule:
- Jan. 19
- Feb. 16 - cancelled
- March 16
- April 20 - cancelled
- May 18
- June 15
- July 20
- Aug. 17
- Sept. 21
- Oct. 19
- Nov. 16
- Dec. 21
Live-streaming webcast: You can view a live-streaming webcast of each meeting and submit written comments or questions in real time. Submitted comments and questions will be addressed during the public comment portion of each meeting. You do not need to register in advance to view the live webcast.

View the live-streaming webcast. Note: the link will be live at approximately 11:45 a.m. on the day of the OPWG meeting. If the primary hyperlink does not work, a backup link is available. The webcast is best supported on Chrome and FireFox. If you experience difficulty accessing the webcast on the day of the OPWG meeting, please call the IT Help Desk at 651-431-2070.

Meeting agendas: See the meeting materials section below for agendas, or email the OPWG staff to receive agendas and background materials via email before each meeting.

To request an accommodation: To request a reasonable accommodation to make it possible for you to attend any of the meetings or view the live webcast, please send a request as soon as possible to the OPWG staff.
Meeting materials
Next meeting

July 20, 2017
Noon to 3 p.m.
Room 5139, DHS, 444 Lafayette Road, St. Paul

View the live-streaming webcast. Note: the link will be live at approximately 11:45 a.m. on the day of the OPWG meeting. If the primary hyperlink does not work, a backup link is available. The webcast is best supported on Chrome and FireFox. If you experience difficulty accessing the webcast on the day of the OPWG meeting, please call the IT Help Desk at 651-431-2070.

Previous meetings

2017
- Jan. 19 agenda (PDF) | meeting minutes (PDF)
- Feb. 16: Cancelled
- March 16 agenda (PDF) | meeting minutes (PDF)
- May 18 agenda (PDF)
- June 15 agenda (PDF)
2016
- Jan 25 agenda (PDF) | meeting minutes (PDF)
- Feb. 18 agenda (PDF) | meeting minutes (PDF)
- March 17 agenda (PDF) | meeting minutes (PDF)
- April 21 agenda (PDF) | meeting minutes (PDF)
- May 19 agenda (PDF) | meeting minutes (PDF)
- June 22: Cancelled
2015
- Nov. 23 agenda (PDF) | meeting minutes (PDF)
- Dec. 14 agenda (PDF) | meeting minutes (PDF)
Background
The OPWG comprises consumers, health care and mental health professionals, law enforcement and representatives of the managed care organizations that contract to serve MHCP members. The work group is an advisory body of experts convened under the OPIP. It is tasked with providing recommendations on the following OPIP components:
- Protocols that address all phases of the opioid prescribing cycle
- Development of educational resources and messages for providers to use in communicating with patients about pain and the use of opioids to treat pain
- Quality-improvement measures to assess variation and support improvement in clinical practice
- Two thresholds directed at MHCP-enrolled providers with persistently concerning prescribing practices, one threshold that will trigger quality improvement and the other termination from MHCP.
Draft recommendations and public comments
DHS is committed to transparency and gathering public input during development of the Opioid Prescribing Improvement Program. DHS invites input from clients, stakeholders, and citizens. Each of the components of the OPIP, recommended by the Opioid Prescribing Work Group, will be posted to this web page for a period of public comment. The components include:
- Draft opioid prescribing recommendations (Acute, Post-Acute, and Chronic Pain)
- Recommended sentinel measures of opioid prescribing during each pain phase
- Recommended criteria for mandatory quality improvement program
Note that the prescribing recommendations will be posted for public comment as they are completed by the OPWG. The final set of recommendations is subject to review, synthesis, and approval by the commissioners of the Department of Health and Department of Human Services. The final set of recommendations will be published as a comprehensive document with supporting materials.

Draft recommendations
Public comment

There are no public comment periods currently open. General public comments on the Opioid Prescribing Improvement Program may be submitted to DHS staff.

Notice of opportunity for public comment: DHS invites the public to comment on the Post-Acute Pain Prescribing Recommendations draft proposal. The public comment period will end March 27, 2017 at 4 p.m. Central Time. After the public comment period, the Opioid Prescribing Work Group will review the comments submitted and determine whether to make changes to the recommendations.

DHS may post public comments on its website, but will not post comments it finds to be inappropriate or comments that contain confidential information. Comments that contain confidential information may be posted, however, if the confidential information is redacted.

Please submit comments to OPWG staff by 4 p.m. on March 27, 2017.
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