Oklahoma Physicians: Act Now to Protect Your Patients

The "Oklahoma Interventional Pain Management and Treatment Act" (Oklahoma House Bill 2168) seeks to authorize Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) to perform interventional pain procedures — putting patients at risk of avoidable complications and poor outcomes.

The International Pain and Spine Intervention Society urges all Oklahoma physicians to contact your state representatives today to voice your opposition to HB 2168 and share these important facts:

• While CRNAs are valuable healthcare team members, their training does not provide them with the expertise required to perform interventional pain procedures.
• Interventional Pain Medicine physicians receive extensive training to prevent, immediately recognize, and appropriately handle serious complications that can occur with interventional pain procedures.
  
• Ensuring that individuals who perform these procedures have obtained the appropriate training protects Oklahoma's patients from avoidable complications and poor outcomes.
  

IPSIS has also convened the Multisociety Pain Workgroup (MPW) to oppose this proposal. On March 8, 2023, a letter was issued to the Oklahoma House on the prerequisite training that IPSIS, and our MPW partner associations, believe to be necessary for safe and effective interventional pain management.

Are you aware of similar scope of practice encroachments? Contact IPSIS at advocacy@IPSISMed.org for assistance.

IPSIS-led MPW collaborations provide a unified voice in advocating on behalf of all interventional pain physicians and the patients they treat. Help sustain this vital advocacy with your donations. The International Pain and Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS) is a tax-exempt organization under US section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law.