This activity is jointly sponsored by Global Education Group and Integritas Communications.

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Teva CNS and Endo Pharmaceuticals.

This satellite symposium is neither sponsored nor endorsed by PAINWeek.

Target Audience

The educational design of this activity addresses the needs of primary care providers, pain specialists, and other clinicians involved in opioid-based management of chronic pain.

Statement of Need/Program Overview

Affecting an estimated 100 million adults in the United States, chronic pain is one of the most common reasons to seek medical treatment.¹ Importantly, the associated neuroplastic changes are progressive and potentially irreversible, underscoring the need for aggressive treatment.² Yet although relief from chronic pain is a clear medical goal, clinicians are often challenged by pain’s subjective nature and the need to balance the potential benefits and risks associated with certain medication classes. In particular, a broad analgesic spectrum and dosing flexibility have made prescription opioids the cornerstone of cancer pain treatment.³ These medications are also an important therapeutic option for carefully selected patients with moderate to severe chronic noncancer pain.⁴ Unfortunately, however, increased prescribing has been mirrored by growing concerns about opioid abuse and higher rates of overdose deaths.^5-7 Thus, clinicians who provide opioid medications to patients with chronic pain must adopt responsible prescribing strategies, including screening for risk factors associated with aberrant drug use, appropriate monitoring, and meticulous documentation of clinical decision making.⁴ Other tools that can help reduce opioid-related risks for patients, prescribers, and the public include periodic urine drug testing, prescription monitoring programs, and newer long-acting opioid formulations designed to resist or deter some aberrant drug-taking behaviors.^8-10 This Interactive Exchange™ program will examine each of these strategies as well as published evidence and clinical guidelines for long-term opioid therapy. The goal is to empower clinicians to select patients who may benefit from long-term opioid therapy, assess risk, monitor outcomes, and tailor opioid-based regimens over time.

References

1. Institute of Medicine. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. 2011.

2. Woolf CJ. Central sensitization: uncovering the relation between pain and plasticity. Anesthesiology. 2007;106(4):864-867.

3. Swarm RA, Abernethy AP, Anghelescu DL, et al. Adult cancer pain. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2013;11(8):992-1022.

4. Chou R, Fanciullo GJ, Fine PG, Miaskowski C, Passik SD, Portenoy RK. Opioids for chronic noncancer pain: prediction and identification of aberrant drug-related behaviors: a review of the evidence for an American Pain Society and American Academy of Pain Medicine clinical practice guideline. J Pain. 2009;10(2):131-146.

5. Starr TD, Rogak LJ, Passik SD. Substance abuse in cancer pain. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2010;14(4):268-275.

6. Portenoy RK. Treatment of cancer pain. Lancet. 2011;377(9784):2236-2247.

7. Hall AJ, Logan JE, Toblin RL, et al. Patterns of abuse among unintentional pharmaceutical overdose fatalities. JAMA. 2008;300(22):2613-2620.

8. Krashin D, Murinova N, Trescot AM. Extended-release hydrocodone - gift or curse? J Pain Res. 2013;6:53-57.

9. Butler SF, Cassidy TA, Chilcoat H, et al. Abuse rates and routes of administration of reformulated extended-release oxycodone: initial findings from a sentinel surveillance sample of individuals assessed for substance abuse treatment. J Pain. 2013;14(4):351-358.

10. Peppin JF, Passik SD, Couto JE, et al. Recommendations for urine drug monitoring as a component of opioid therapy in the treatment of chronic pain. Pain Med. 2012;13(7):886-896.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

1. Discuss the neurobiologic mechanisms that underlie chronic pain and associated functional disability
2. Assess biopsychosocial factors that contribute to chronic pain via patient histories, clinical interviews, and physical exams
3. Tailor multimodal opioid-based therapy for patients with chronic pain based on analgesia, functional responses, adverse events, and stratified risk of aberrant behaviors
4. Employ opioid prescribing principles for patient monitoring and documentation to comply with medical standards of care, government agencies, and risk evaluation and mitigation strategies
5. Educate patients about the safe and appropriate use of prescription opioid analgesics, including common side effects, drug-drug interactions, and the critical need to adhere to the therapeutic plan 

Program Agenda

6:00 AM – 6:30 AM: Registration, Meal, Preactivity Outcomes Assessment

6:30 AM – 6:50 AM: Disease Management Primer

6:50 AM – 7:30 AM: Case Series in Chronic Pain

7:30 AM – 7:50 AM: Build-a-Case Collaboration

7:50 AM – 8:00 AM: Postactivity Assessment and Question and Answer Session

Physician Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas Communications. Global is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Physician Credit Designation

Global Education Group designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nursing Continuing Education

Global Education Group is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s COA.

This educational activity for 1.5 contact hours is provided by Global Education Group. Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Pharmacist Accreditation Statement

Global Education Group is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Credit Designation

Global Education Group designates this continuing education activity for 1.5 contact hour(s) (0.15 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (UAN: 0530-9999-14-056-L01-P).

Fee Information & Refund/Cancellation Policy

There is no fee for this educational activity.

For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact Global at 303-395-1782 or inquire@globaleducationgroup.com

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Global Education Group (Global) requires instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals and their spouses/life partners who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly vetted by Global for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations.

Americas With Disabilities Act

Event staff will be glad to assist you with any special needs (ie, physical, dietary, etc). Please contact Sean O’Toole prior to the live event at sotoole@integritasgrp.com