Program Summary

Hospitalized patients often have complex pain management needs that change quickly during the course of their hospitalization. Patients can experience a mix of acute pain and chronic pain, and the pain can be nociceptive (somatic or visceral) or neuropathic in nature . The best pain management programs use a multimodal approach to drug therapy that is based on patient-specific or procedure-specific information. Assessing patients as they move through the health care system is key to ensuring that a patient's pain management needs are consistent with the drug regimen, especially when transitioning between providers and forms of analgesics (e.g., from intravenous drugs to oral agents).

In order to adequately meet the pain management needs of individual patients, a mutlidisciplinary team must be familiar with the various types of pain and common clinical presentations, principles of multimodal drug therapy, and methods for monitoring patients to ensure optimal safety and efficacy. This program reviews the principles germane to the development of patient-specific pain management care plans. The focus of the program will be on using patient-specific data and assessment to foster safe and effective pain management.

 

Target Audience

This program is designed for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who are interested in the principles of patient-specific pain management programs, as well as those healthcare professionals interested in understanding best practices for pain management.

 

These programs are planned and conducted by ASHP Advantage. Sponsored by an educational grant from Baxter Healthcare Corporation.