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Talking points

In 2009, the U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) adopted "Standards of Pain Management" to improve the organization and delivery of integrated pain care throughout the VHA.  The Directive emphasizes the importance of “stepped, consultative care,” that includes ensuring primary care providers have access to specialists to help effectively evaluate and manage complex cases.  Under the heading “Clinician Competence and Expertise in Pain Management,” the Directive recommends that Pain Medicine specialists obtain and maintain one or more of the following certifications:  Pain Medicine specialty board certification by the American Board of Pain Medicine (ABPM) or subspecialty board certification in Pain Medicine or Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine by one of several American Board of Medical Specialty (ABMS) Boards.

Alabama
Act 2013-257; Article 11, Chapter 24, Title 34-24-1007

Alabama’s “Pain Management Act” was enacted to empower the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners with broad authority to regulate physicians who provide pain management services in the state.  Among the provisions, the Act requires physicians providing pain management services to register with the BME and access the Alabama Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP).  The Act also requires that pain management services be provided in a “practice location” that meets the Act’s standards relating to ownership and operation.  Every practice location must certify that it is under the direction of a medical director who meets the Act’s training requirements, which include specialty certification in pain medicine by the ABMS, AOA and Board certification by the ABPM.

Arizona
House Bill 2001

As part of the 2018 Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act, Arizona House Bill 2001 was passed, which in part specifgies that a health professional who believes a patient requires more than 90 MMEs per prescription must consult with a licensed physician who is a board-certified pain specialist.  

ABPM worked with the Arizona Medical Association to shape the definition of a "board certified pain specialist" in the bill. Originally, the bill required a mandatory consult with a " board-certified pain specialist who has completed a fellowship program specializing in opioid treatment". ABPM successfully lobbied for removal of the fellowship training requirement, by explaining that this would limit the already small supply of pain medicine specialists in Arizona.

California
CA Business and Professions Code, §651(h)(5)(A) & (B)

California’s Business and Professions code prohibits physicians from advertising that they are board-certified unless they are certified by an ABMS member specialty board, a specialty board with an ACGME accredited postgraduate training program or “a specialty board with “equivalent” requirements approved by the Medical Board of California’s Licensing Program.”  The Medical Board has approved the following four specialty boards:

• American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (1995)
• American Board of Pain Medicine (1996)
• American Board of Sleep Medicine (1998)
• American Board of Spine Surgery (2002)

Florida
Florida Board of Medicine Rule 64B8-11.001 – Advertising

Florida’s Board of Medicine formally recognizes ABPM as a specialty board, and authorizes ABPM Pain Medicine Diplomates to advertise as specialists in Florida.

Florida
FL Statutes 456.44  – Controlled substance prescribing law

Pursuant to this law, “Board-certified pain management physician” means a physician who possesses board certification in pain medicine by the American Board of Pain Medicine, board certification by the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians, or board certification or sub-certification in pain management by a specialty board recognized by the American Association of Physician Specialists or an osteopathic physician who holds a certificate in Pain Management by the American Osteopathic Association.”

Georgia
Georgia Rule 360-3-.06 – Pain Management Protocol

The Georgia pain management protocol states: the Georgia Composite Medical Board “recognizes certifications in pain medicine or palliative medicine by the American Board of Medical Specialties or the American Osteopathic Association, the American Board of Pain Medicine and the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians.”

Indiana
SB 239

Effecitve July 1, 2022, ABPM Diplomates can highlight their specialty using the following format: "(name of title of practitioners profession) specializing in (name of specialty)."

Kentucky
201 KAR 9:250E - Registration and Oversight of Pain Management Facilities

The regulation details Kentucky’s requirements for owning pain management facilities.  The regulation imposes strict requirements for physician-owners or physician owner-designees who will actively practice medicine in the facility, to include an attestation that demonstrates current ABMS or AOA subspecialty certification in either pain management or hospice and palliative medicine or through certification by the American Board of Pain Medicine or American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians.

Michigan
Pain and Symptom Management Advisory Report

Pain and Symptom Management Advisory Committee Report includes ABPM as "a national professional organization approved by the department of Consumer and Industry Services".

Please click here for the full report. 

Mississippi
Miss. Code Ann. §73-43-11 (1972, as amended).

Rule 1.15 Pain Management Clinics. 

8. Training Requirements for All Physicians Practicing in Pain Management Clinics. Effective July 1, 2014, physicians who have not met the qualifications set forth in subsections (1) through (5) below, shall have successfully completed a pain residency fellowship or a pain medicine residency that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). All physicians prescribing or dispensing controlled substance medications in pain management clinics registered by the Board must meet one (1) of the following qualifications:

1. board certification by a specialty board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and hold a subspecialty certification in pain medicine;

2. board certification by a specialty board recognized by the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists in pain management;

3. board certification in pain medicine by the American Board of Pain Medicine (ABPM);

4. successful completion of a residency program in physical medicine and rehabilitation, anesthesiology, neurology, neurosurgery, or psychiatry and approved by the ACGME or the AOA; or

5. successful completion of 100 hours of in-person, live participatory AMA or AOA Category 1 CME courses in pain management. Upon completion of the 100 hours of CME, physicians must also document completion of 15 hours of live lecture format, Category 1 CME in pain management for every year the physician is practicing pain management.

Please click here to view the rule on the Mississippi website.

Ohio

OAC 4731-29-01 - Standards and procedures for the operation of a pain management clinic

Ohio code includes requirements regarding ownership and operation of pain management clinics.  Physician owners must demonstrate certification in pain management or hospice and palliative medicine by the ABMS, AOA BOS, American Board of Pain Medicine or American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians.  There are significant additional requirements for physician owners who cannot demonstrate one of these Board certifications.

Rhode Island
Rules and Regulations for Pain Management, Opioid Use and the Registration of Distributors of Controlled Substances in Rhode Island [R21-28-CSD]

In February 2015, the Rhode Island Board of Medicine officially adopted a new opioid prescribing protocol, which includes ABPM Diplomates in the definition of "pain medicine physician." 

Tennessee
1200-34-01-.09)(d) Training Requirements for Medical Directors of Pain Clinics

Tennessee’s Department of Health adopted regulations to improve the care provided in “Pain Management Clinics.”  The regulation outlines the requirements for physicians who serve as medical directors of a clinic, including board certification by the American Board of Pain Medicine.

Tennessee
Tennessee Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Chronic Pain 

Within the Tennessee Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Chronic Pain, ABPM Diplomates are recognized as Pain Medicine specialists.

The Texas Board of Medicine carefully reviewed all aspects of ABPM’s rigorous certification process and found them to be “substantially equivalent” to those required of ABMS member boards.  As reflected on the Texas Board of Medicine’s website, Texas Diplomates can now convey this well-earned certification to patients and for the purpose of advertising this well-earned credential.

Washington
Washington Annotated Code 246-919-863

As of March 2014, the State of Washington officially recognizes ABPM as an approved credentialing board under the state-endorsed definition of “pain medicine specialist.” The Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission took this action after reviewing the ABPM’s rigorous credentialing process, including qualifications for Applicants and the administration of ABPM’s certification examination.

West Virginia
West Virginia Code - Article 5H - Chronic Pain Licensing Act 

West Virginia’s Chronic Pain Clinic Licensing Act established requirements for operating a pain management clinic. The regulation imposes strict requirements which mandates each pain management clinic shall designate a physician owner who shall practice at the clinic and be responsible for the operation of the clinic. The designated physician must meet one of the following training requirements: 1) complete a pain medicine fellowship that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or such other similar program as may be approved by the secretary; or 2) hold current board certification by the American Board of Pain Medicine or current board certification by the American Board of Anesthesiology or such other board certification as may be approved by the secretary.

Please click here for the full text of the act.