New family doctors are often hesitant to continue prescribing opioids for patients, including to those who need opioids for pain management. However, opioids can be a helpful treatment for pain and it’s important for family doctors to know how to prescribe them effectively.

New nicotine delivery systems, policies and evidence are evolving to include nicotine pouches, ‘heat sticks’, and vaping products. Family physicians may be unfamiliar with emerging products and evidence and unable to provide guidance to patients.

Even if a family doctor makes the correct diagnosis and prescribes the most appropriate treatment to address an illness, if a patient is unable to access the treatment due to social or financial circumstances the patient will not improve.

Administrative burden, including completing complex forms and reviewing EMRs are all contributing to burnout in family medicine. During this session, our panelists will discuss tricks to efficiently review EMRs, setting boundaries with patients, taking vacations and training your office staff to take on some of the burdensome tasks.