AOE Compliance Connection – October 2021 Newsletter

Welcome to the October edition of AOE Compliance Connection, AOE’s monthly newsletter. In this month’s newsletter, you can expect highlights from the ACCME’s new report featuring Opioid REMS updates, a spotlight on one of AOE’s own at a recent conference, and a guide to some terminology updates from the ANCC. AOE works hard to stay current with the latest CE news so we can keep YOU current as well. Make sure to check out our weekly compliance tips on our website and social media pages, too. Reach out to us at inquire@aoeconsulting.com to see how we can further support you and your CE team.

The ACCME recently released a new report featuring data that illustrates the number and type of CE activities that are compliant with the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) related to opioid analgesics. The data included in the report is from March 1, 2019 through May 15, 2021.

Report highlights include:

• The report describes the “scope and diversity of accredited continuing education (CE) activities that are compliant with the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) related to opioid analgesics”.
• From March 1, 2019 through May 15, 2021, 25 accredited providers reported 270 compliant activities that included 185,854 learners. Of these, the most common format was a live course but the most participation happened with online formats.
• Of those 185,854 learners, 59% were registered providers of Schedule 2 or 3 drugs, 83% carry individual license(s), and 17% carry an individual license.
• Other learner data is available in the full report, including breakdowns by state, provider type, practice area, and length of time in practice.

The full report is available for public download here. Further and additional information is available at the CME for FDA REMS webpage.

PARS Downtime

As the new and improved PARS is scheduled to launch on November 16, 2021, the ACCME announced a scheduled downtime for PARS preceding the release: From Thursday, November 11, at 5:00 pm CST until Tuesday, November 16 and 9:00 am, providers will not be able to use any reporting functions in PARS. Accreditation management functions will still be accessible.

In a recent newsletter, the ANCC Commission on Accreditation for Nursing Continuing Professional Development revised the role title for the Lead Nurse Planner. Formerly “Lead Nurse Planner,” the role will be officially called “Accredited Provider Program Director” on or before July 1, 2021. The reasons for the change include a desire on the ANCC’s part to “increase visibility and value of role within the accredited organization and in the larger NCPD community” in addition to reflecting the leadership role that it is to the wider CE community and using consistent language with other nursing programs.

The ANCC clarified that the roles and responsibilities of the positions are not changing (nor are the titles and roles and responsibilities of the Nurse Planner role). The requirements for this position, as written in the ANCC 2015 Provider Manual, include:

• Being a registered nurse with a current, unencumbered nursing license (or international equivalent),
• Holding a graduate degree,
• Holding a baccalaureate degree or higher in nursing (or international equivalent),
• Having authority within the PU to ensure compliance with the ANCC Accreditation Program criteria that pertain to the operations of the organization as a PU,
• Having responsibility for ensuring that the PU adheres to the ANCC Accreditation Program criteria for all operational aspects of providing continuing nursing education activities and criteria that pertain to the operations of the organization as a PU,
• Having responsibility for the orientation of all Nurse Planners in the organization with respect to the ANCC Accreditation Program criteria,
• Having responsibility for ensuring each Nurse Planner is a registered nurse and holds a current, unencumbered nursing license (or international equivalent) and a baccalaureate degree or higher in nursing (or international equivalent), and
• Having responsibility for ensuring each Nurse Planner understands the ANCC Accreditation Program criteria and is responsible for appropriately evaluating compliance with those criteria.