More than a year after it was required by lawmakers, a rule took effect Tuesday that places new training requirements on doctors who work in pain-management clinics.
The rule, developed by the state Board of Medicine, includes several ways that physicians can comply, such as getting certified by professional boards or completing residency programs in certain specialties. It is aimed at helping curb the state’s problems with unscrupulous doctors and clinics supplying dangerous painkillers to addicts and traffickers.
Paul Sloan, president of the Florida Society of Pain Management Providers, said the rule is significant, as it creates a “higher standard” for doctors who treat patients with controlled substances.
Lawmakers directed the Board of Medicine to come up with the rule in 2010. But later decisions by the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott slowed the adoption of a wide range of rules.
