As many of you may be aware, opioid abuse is not only a national emergency, but one that has had a devastating impact on families and communities all across Georgia. In response, a task force has been instituted to raise public awareness. In 2017, Attorney General Chris Carr announced the creation of a Statewide Opioid Task Force, providing an infrastructure of communication between organizations in the public, private and non-profit sectors that are combating and are impacted by this critical issue. Summit Spine & Joint Centers CEO, Dr. Amit Patel, and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sri Mandyam, are honored to be members of this task force.

Summit Spine & Joint Physicians Participate in Statewide Opioid Task Force

Efforts to Combat Abuse & Overdose

The task force convened Friday, July 12, 2019, at First United Methodist Church of Marietta. During this meeting, Dr. Mandyam, representing Summit Spine & Joint Centers, and Dr. Patel, representing the Georgia Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (GSIPP), had the privilege of addressing those in attendance by speaking on methods to combat opioid abuse and overdose.

One strategy as presented by Dr. Mandyam involves an automated reconciliation of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) data with our electronic health records. By doing this, a significant amount of systemic prescription forgeries has been detected. However, with coordination between local law enforcement and the pharmacies, in terms of follow-up, there is great potential for improvement and coordination in this area.

Dr. Patel gave a presentation on “Responsible Opioid Management: An Interventional Pain Physician’s Perspective.”

We’re Committed to Our Patients

Summit Spine & Joint Centers prides itself on perseverance to combat and raise awareness of the ongoing opioid crisis. Our team of providers will stop at nothing to ensure the safety of our patients. We will continue to be vigilant supporters of the task force and its aim to put an end to this national emergency.

To schedule an appointment at Summit Spine & Joint, call (770) 962-3642 or contact us online. Our Metro Atlanta pain management locations include Lawrenceville, Braselton, Johns Creek and more.