ProAssurance and Sure Med Compliance Join to Fight Opioid Crisis

BIRMINGHAM ─ ProAssurance Corporation has announced an exclusive affiliation with Sure Med Compliance® (SMC) to promote the use of SMC’s Care Continuity Program® (CCP) in an effort to help combat the opioid epidemic in the United States.

ProAssurance-insured physicians will be eligible for discounted access to Sure Med’s Care Continuity Program

The CCP helps physicians and other health care providers develop and maintain responsible prescribing practices for opioids and other scheduled medications by equipping them with tools to verify patients suitable for opioid therapy, identify with significant risk factors, and closely monitor the effects of treatment over time.

“As an industry leader, we are acutely aware of the devastating effects of the opioid epidemic in this country. We are concerned about the epidemic’s professional liability implications for physicians and other healthcare providers, as well as its broader effects on the healthcare system in general. We are proud to affiliate with Sure Med Compliance to offer our insureds exclusive discounted access to this cutting-edge approach to patient safety and effective treatment, ” said Howard H. Friedman, president of ProAssurance’s Healthcare Professional Liability Group.

John Bowman, Sure Med Compliance’s Chief Executive Officer, emphasized the importance of the newly formed affiliation.

“Our Care Continuity Program provides a proven path toward optimal outcomes for patients whose treatment requires the use of opioids and other potentially addictive drugs,” Bowman said. “In turn, CCP helps physicians avoid potential liability issues, which has always been a focus of ProAssurance and why we are so excited about this affiliation. We are confident their national footprint will help Sure Med Compliance reach more physicians and assist more patients than ever before.”

Through this affiliation, ProAssurance insureds who meet certain eligibility requirements will have access to an exclusive 30-day free trial of the CCP. ProAssurance insureds who elect to continue using the Care Continuity Program will receive exclusive discounted rates. ProAssurance insureds may contact Sure Med Compliance to determine eligibility and initiate a 30-day free trial by visiting www.suremedcompliance.com/proassurance or calling (866) 517-2771.

“As a practicing pain management specialist, I have experienced firsthand the challenges physicians face in deciding to prescribe controlled substances. Using the Sure Med Compliance CCP in my practice has helped me ensure proper documentation and address potential issues before they occur,” said Sure Med Compliance’s Medical Director David Herrick, M.D., of Montgomery. Dr. Herrick is a past president of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and a former member of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners.

ProAssurance’s Chief Medical Officer Hayes V. Whiteside, M.D., encouraged physicians with ProAssurance to learn more about the CCP.

“Our commitment to provide our insureds with exclusive discounted access to the Sure Med Compliance CCP underscores ProAssurance’s commitment to ensure physicians and other health care providers are equipped with the risk management tools and services necessary to deal with the ever-changing realities of their chosen profession,” Dr. Whiteside said. “All ProAssurance insureds who regularly prescribe opioids, especially those who prescribe for chronic pain, are encouraged to engage Sure Med Compliance to learn more about how their Care Continuity Program can help them develop and maintain safe and responsible prescribing practices, which should lead to better outcomes for their patients.”