Your Source for Opioid Education and Tools
The data and trends illustrating the impact of opioids on the United States and our communities are staggering. From rural to urban settings, communities are witnessing the growing and deadly impact of opioids. But health care providers at times feel caught between prescribing guidelines and patients’ needs. Taking Action: How will education address the problem? Education is the foundation of change. Education beyond the headlines that not only raises awareness about the opioid epidemic, but also provides strategies for changes in practice and process that will mobilize the HCP workforce. Education provides an opportunity to help HCPs better understand the biologic underpinnings of pain pathways so that their decision-making is focused on treatment alternatives that are targeted, effective, and safe. And finally, education to the patient so that they understand their treatment—the why and the how—so that they understand what to expect, and if prescribed an opioid, how to safely dispose of unused medication to ensure it is not illegally diverted, and prepare them to help if a loved one is struggling with addiction or take action in case of an overdose.
Heeding the Call for Safe and Responsible Pain Management in Our Communities
 Participate Now |
Completion of the post-test and evaluation is necessary to meet the requirements of REMS. CME Outfitters is responsible for submitting your completion information to the FDA. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
This webcast features an expert faculty panel discussion on the underlying mechanisms of acute and chronic pain pathways and how to utilize this knowledge to implement appropriate pain management strategies and educate patients about their pain, thus optimizing safe and effective, multimodal treatment plans.Curbing the Impact of the Opioid Epidemic: Arm Yourselves with the Latest Tools and Strategies to Manage OUD
 Participate Now |
This video is a replay of a plenary session from the 12th Annual Chair Summit Master Class for Neuroscience Professional Development held in Las Vegas, NV from February 27 – 29, 2020. At the end of this CE activity, participants should be able to:
|
Initiating Medication-Assisted Therapy for OUD in Diverse Settings: Clinical Pearls for Navigating the Process
 Participate Now |
The opioid abuse epidemic has resulted in an alarming increase in opioid-related overdoses and deaths; however, the severe and lethal consequences of opioid misuse are preventable with the use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which is a proven, effective tool for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). This CME Outfitters Snack features expert faculty expanding on best practices for MAT initiation particularly in diverse care settings such as the VA system, criminal justice settings, hospitals, and outpatient clinics, by examining the neurobiology of opioid addiction and the efficacy of opioid agonists and antagonists in reducing illicit opioid use. |
Putting Pressure on Opioid Prescribing: Novel Approaches to Pain Management
 Participate Now |
Opioids continue to impact all corners of the United States and its communities, a burden that continues to grow at a rapid pace. The current opioid crisis is incredibly challenging for both patients and health care providers (HCPs). There has been a 30% increase in overdoses among men and a 24% increase among women, with all ages affected. While changing these current trends is important, it cannot be accomplished by policy changes alone. There is no one size fits all model for communities to address this crisis. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: A Call to Action to Save Our Communities
 Participate Now |
Join Dr. Gold and Dr. Stanos in augmented reality illustration of pain management strategies to optimize safe and responsible management of acute and chronic pain. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
Time To Listen: What The Experts Have To Say About Safe Opioid Prescribing And Addiction Treatment
 Participate Now |
This CME Outfitters activity features insight from this panel of experts on the challenges, consequences, and opportunities for the development of education to help meet the pain management needs of patients amid rising concerns of addiction and diversion. |
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Reducing the Burden of Pain in a Changing Treatment Landscape
 Participate Now |
Developing actionable steps to promote appropriate prescribing for individuals with acute and chronic pain is imperative to curbing the impact of the growing opioid crisis facing our communities. |
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: New Approaches to Safe and Effective Pain Management
 Participate Now |
In part 2 of this 3-part series, expert faculty focus on the four-step approach that follows the SOAP (Subjective-Objective-Assessment-Plan) approach to pain management, as well as principles of communication with patients experiencing pain in order to help clinicians appropriately prescribe the best therapy for pain management in each patient. |
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Principles of Communication and Recognizing Patient Needs
 Participate Now |
The conclusion of this 3-part series features expert faculty focusing on a collaborative patient-centered approach in order to guide optimal pain management, which includes applying an evidence-based approach to chronic pain management and improving prescribing practices through pharmacovigilance. |
Understanding the Big Picture of Pain and Pain Assessment
 Participate Now |
The key to pain management is helping patients function better so that they can return to doing the things they enjoy. In this CME Snack, expert faculty discuss pain assessment tools and risk stratification so that clinicians can work together with patients to restore function and improve quality of life. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
Providing the Right Expectations: Understanding the Pathophysiology of Pain
 Participate Now |
Evaluating patients with chronic pain can be a daunting task, as the nervous system is complex and knowing which type of pain the patient is experiencing – neuropathic, nociceptive, or nociplastic – is the best guide for where clinicians should focus their treatment decisions. In this CME Snack on understanding and treating pain, expert faculty focus on the pathophysiology of pain and the underlying mechanisms to assessment and appropriate management. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
The Role that Gender Plays in Pain Perception, Treatment, and Addiction
 Participate Now |
Gender plays an important role in pain, pain reception, and opioid use. In this CME Snack, expert faculty discuss how gender and sexual trauma and/or abuse affects a patient’s proclivity to substance abuse disorders. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
Shifting Perspectives on Pain Management in Oral Surgery
|
In a survey of 1,015,116 opioid naïve patients undergoing surgery, total duration of opioid use was the strongest predictor of misuse and the greatest risk for individuals in the 15-24 age group. Young people aged 15-24 often get their first exposure to opioids with dental surgery. In a survey of randomly selected oral surgeons conducted by Dr. Abubaker and colleagues, the average number of opioid tablets prescribed was 20, with 22% prescribing more than 20 tablets, and 11% prescribing more than 30 tablets. These risk factors, combined with the current epidemic, has led many oral surgeons to believe that the old standards of depending on opioids as a first-line treatment should be a thing of the past. In this free CME Snack, Dr. Gold and Dr. Abubaker share insights on alternative pain management strategies for oral pain with a focus on finding a balance between compassion for patient care and patient safety. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
How PAs are Improving Skill Sets to Approach Opioid Use
|
Opioid medications are among the most powerful medications available for the treatment of acute severe pain. Many patients start down the road of opioid addiction when prescribed opioids the first time following a surgery, trauma, or injury. In a 2017 survey of PAs clinical practice, PAs are not only prescribing Schedule II and III drugs, but are managing patients with pain in their practices and have expressed a need for education on both prescribing opioids and managing their patients, particularly for those of underserved populations. In this CME Snack on best ways to approach opioid use, expert faculty discuss the importance of gathering comprehensive patient histories that include substance use information, listening to patient stories, and the wellness component of treating patients with pain. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
Managing the Complexity of Chronic Pain in the Primary Care Setting
|
Primary care physicians can play a key role in making a difference in the opioid epidemic. PCPs are responsible for approximately 50% of opioid prescriptions and need to incorporate best practice strategies to optimize safe and competent prescribing, therefore minimizing potential for abuse and diversion. Although chronic pain is not something a physician can cure, if the patient feels understood and heard treatment will be more successful. This CME Snack focuses on the complexity of chronic pain and how best to manage it in a primary care setting, with expert faculty discussing how PCPs and their patients can make informed decisions together. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
New Perspectives and Approaches from Orthopedic Surgeons for the Management of Acute Pain
 Participate Now |
In light of the current opioid crisis, many states have put forward prescribing mandates and limits for opioids, clinical practice guidelines can provide guidance for treatment decisions for acute pain in the management of minor to major musculoskeletal injuries. In this CME Snack, expert faculty discuss non-opioid approaches to acute pain and the new Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Acute Pain Management. Download the OTA Clinical Practice Guidelines for Acute Pain Management. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
Fatal Attraction: Why are Opioids so Addicting?
 Participate Now |
Early in the opioid crisis, physicians were the principle source of opioid use and abuse due to overprescribing, often leading to patients storing leftover prescriptions at home and friends or family members finding and using these leftovers. Unfortunately, simply restricting opioid prescriptions is not an effective strategy in a culture that has wildly available and accessible drugs of abuse available. In this CME Snack, Dr. Mark S. Gold focuses on the biological underpinnings of opioid addiction in order to educate clinicians on how to address the opioid epidemic in their communities. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
Championing Change: Addressing Addiction in Our Communities
 Participate Now |
In this CME Snack, Jessica Nickel, founder of the Addiction Policy Forum, and Dr. Mark Gold focus on community-based strategies to provide an effective care settings for those dealing with substance use disorder. This activity is also available as a podcast>> |
A Way Forward: How Naloxone Saves Lives from Opioid Overdose
Increasing access to naloxone is essential to reducing overdose mortality. Strategies for increasing access must be thoughtfully developed and deployed to ensure that naloxone is available to any at-risk individual—whether that be an individual with chronic pain or someone with a substance use disorder—without the burden of stigma or judgement. CMEO convened an expert panel led by Dr. Mark Gold to discuss barriers and opportunities for distribution of naloxone to those at risk for overdose in the community. This white paper, A Way Forward: How Naloxone Saves Lives from Opioid Overdose reviews the data used by the panelists to establish their positions and recommendations for the way forward.
Conducting an ePain Assessment: Asking the Right Questions, Using the Best Tools
 Participate Now |  Case-based learning is helpful in illustrating not just strategies for managing challenging patients, but also in sharing experiences and insights on maintaining quality care when facing changes in clinical workflow. To help clinicians adapt to virtual appointments, part one of this CME Outfitters BriefCase series features expert faculty presenting a case vignette that demonstrates tips for performing psychosocial and physical assessments via a telehealth appointment in order to educate clinicians on appropriate management of pain and the viability of Telehealth for pain evaluation and ongoing management |
Are You Seeing the Big Picture?: A Multimodal Approach to the Management of Pain
 Participate Now | Part two of this CME Outfitters BriefCase series revisits the patient case from part one, with a focus on how best to handle prescribing, patient education, and shared decision-making via telehealth appointments. |
Opioid Red Flags: Examining the Options and Taking the Next Steps
 Participate Now |
The final episode of this CME Outfitters Briefcase series focuses on identifying the red flags of OUD and best options for taking the next steps to engage patients and develop appropriate treatment strategies. |
Rethinking Standing Orders for Opioids to Manage Pain in Adolescents and Young Adults Requiring Third Molar Extraction
 Participate Now | It has long been a habit of dentists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons to prescribe narcotics following surgeries such as third molar extraction, with many prescribing as many as 20-30 tablets.A recent study of 105 patients who underwent third molar extraction saw 8 surgeons prescribing 1,773 opioid units, with only 38.4% of those units being consumed during the study period. The first installment of this CME Outfitters Briefcase series on non-opioid pain management focuses on how to choose safe and effective pain management strategies for dental postsurgical pain by aligning pain management practices to evidence-based recommendations for a rational, multimodal approach to analgesia. |
Keeping Pain at Bay: Strategies for Early Interventions and Safer Pain Management
| Risk assessment is critical to providing the best possible patient-centered outcome while mitigating unnecessary opioid exposure. Clinicians must carefully weigh risk vs benefit on a case by case basis to determine if an opioid is necessary, or if chronic pain can be prevented with use of a non-opioid alternative. Risk level can be determined with proper implementation of validated screening tools and by bringing patients into a conversation about their current health issues and drug use. This CME Outfitters BriefCase features a case study focusing on musculoskeletal injuries, tools to apply for determining type of injury and assessing risk for addiction, including over-the-counter (OTC) non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or acetaminophen, as well as ways to supplement non-opioid pain management with cognitive and physical strategies. |
Visualizing Pain and Addiction: An Augmented Reality Discussion
 Participate Now |
This CMEOCast podcast of an augmented reality symposium discusses the brain/body reaction to pain and factors that influence pain perception and educates learners about acute and chronic pain pathways so that they may optimize safe and competent prescribing while still appropriately managing pain. |
The Role of the Pharmacist in Identifying Signs of Opioid Use Disorder
 Participate Now |
The impact of opioids on the United States and its communities is a constantly growing burden and is challenging for patients and the health care community. Pharmacists are important members of the treatment team, particularly when it comes to addressing the opioid crisis. This CMEOCast podcast episode features expert faculty focused on the role of the pharmacist in communicating with patients about their prescribed opioids and in recommending and/or dispensing naloxone to individuals prescribed opioids who may be at risk for overdose, and available options for medicated assisted treatment (MAT). |
Team-Based Strategies to Address Patients’ Pain Needs
 Participate Now |
While team-based care is the best approach to managing patients with pain, it is not always easy, with lack of communication and education often being the biggest concerns. Here, we examine the role of pharmacists in educating patients about their pain to optimize safe and effective treatment plans. |
The Addiction Policy Forum is a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating addiction as a major health problem. Our national headquarters are located in Washington, DC with resources and services in every state.
Why are Drugs So Hard to Quit?
The Disease Model of Addiction
Naloxone Administration
Naloxone Facts
Addiction & the Brain
Brainstorming Opioid Addiction through Merged Perspectives: Learnings from Roundtable Discussions
 Read Now |
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 115 people die each day in the United States due to an opioid overdose. To better understand the nation’s current epidemic, CME Outfitters recently brought together the perspectives of those most impacted by opioids in hopes of creating more effective strategies to avoid addiction in the coming years. These roundtable discussions, hosted by CME Outfitters, first pulled the experiences of both patients and their loved ones who have been affected by opioid dependency. Read more about the the four key takeaways that we learned. |
From Analytics to Understanding: A Look Into Our 3D Pain Animation’s Debut at CME Outfitters’ Opioid Epidemic Premiere Symposium
 Read More |
Family medicine providers are uniquely qualified to lead the charge for precise and responsible prescribing for acute and chronic pain. Family medicine is at the forefront of managing chronic illness, handling comorbidities, and coordinating care for their patients. A recent live meeting held at the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) used an animated 3-D model that learners were able to move, rotate, and zoom as they explored acute and chronic pain pathways. |