Better Pain Prescribing: Clarity and confidence in opioid management

Free e-Learning package

Pharmaceutical opioids are now responsible for nearly 150 hospitalisations every day in Australia. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is committed to safer opioid prescribing – recently initiating a campaign to further improve prescribing decision-making processes and foster the safer use of opioids. Endorsed by leading pain, addiction and palliative care experts across Australia from the Opioid Regulatory Advisory Group (ORAG), this important campaign seeks to drive awareness of, and educate healthcare professionals around regulatory changes and measures that will help reduce opioid-related harm.

Course overview

The Faculty of Pain Medicine (ANZCA) has partnered with the TGA, to develop a targeted better pain management and safe opioid therapy eLearning program for primary care providers involved in managing those with chronic pain.

Available at no cost to health care professionals residing in Australia, this course will help develop greater clarity and confidence with six key eLearning modules dedicated to best-practice opioids prescribing and pain management techniques.

Targeted educational content developed by specialist FPM clinicians includes essential clinical tools, doctor/patient videos and individual case studies that will:

  • show you how to develop sustainable techniques that help achieve genuine, and clinically responsible patient outcomes for those experiencing chronic pain
  • demonstrate how to further improve results with the use of alternative treatment options that provide clear pain management choices
  • provide you with non-pharmacological therapies that make a real difference in reducing opioid dependence, whilst optimising non-opioid medicines
  • reveal risk-assessment tools that will assist in recognising complex pain management needs critical for use prior to commencing opioid therapy.

Course details

Supported by the TGA, this 6-module Better Pain Management eLearning package has been designed by Faculty of Pain Management (ANZCA) specialist clinicians, and is dedicated to developing clarity and confidence in opioids prescribing and pain management techniques.

the package includes the following course modules (each one takes around 1 hour to complete, and is self-paced)

Module 1: Making an effective pain diagnosis: a whole person approach
Understand the importance of a whole-person approach to pain assessment, including awareness of important pathophysiological pathways and the complexities underlying pain experiences

Module 2: The impact and management of psychological factors in pain
Recognise patients at risk for long-term distress and disability. Develop an effective management plan for psychosocial comorbidities in patients with chronic pain.

Module 3: A whole person approach to chronic pain
Comprehensively assess and manage complex chronic pain presentations. Educate patients about multidisciplinary pain management, whilst providing alternative solution options.

Module 6: Opioids in pain management
Initiate and monitor opioid therapy appropriately in patients with non-malignant chronic pain. Includes resources such as the Opioid Risk Tool for assessing a patient's risk of problematic opioid behaviour.

Module 7: Pharmacology of pain medicine
Develop and understanding of analgesic medications and mechanisms present in chronic pain to drive both clear and rational prescribing decision-making.

Module 11: High-dose problematic opioid use
More effectively prepare to deal with this complex opioid problem by understanding the influences that drive high opioid use within vulnerable patients.

Access your free enrolment

For a simple, one-step enrolment, go to FPM’s Better Pain Management website and follow this set of instructions. For their reporting requirements, FPM requests that you please enter the voucher code bpm_shpatga2020 when accessing the modules. If you experience any difficulties, please contact Neil Street via email nstreet@anzca.edu.au.