New opioids training for Georgia doctors

ATLANTA - Georgia's 35,000 doctors will have to get training to help them properly prescribe opioids and spot narcotic abuse.

Georgia Composite Medical Board unanimously voted for all physicians to complete an additional three hours in educational training at the time they renew their license.

"Obviously one of the things that is happening is some of these medications are being pilfered and finding their way onto the streets where they are being sold, remarked Georgia Medical Board Chairman Dr. Dan DeLoach.

Every day, 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose.

Dr. DeLoach said the goal is to reduce those numbers.

The medical association of Georgia opposed the new rules. They said the training should have been voluntary.

Another component of the new mandate includes creating a database so doctors can see everything patients are doing.

"PDMP, which is a database where physicians can go in and find out if a patient is being prescribed opioids by perhaps, one, three, five other physicians," Dr. DeLoach said.

The mandated training will begin January 1, 2018.