Course Summary

Pain management requires an individualized plan. Every patient feels and responds to pain differently, and it is critical that pain management strategies for inpatients be tailored to each patient in order to provide adequate pain relief. A variety of analgesics and alternative treatments to assist with pain management are presented. Health clinicians trained in pain treatment strategies that include biopsychosocial factors will be better able to help patients improve in their pain recovery and quality of life.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

• I. Introduction
• II. Types of Pain
  • 1.   Neuropathic Pain
  • 2.   Somatic Pain
  • 3.   Visceral Pain
• III. The Assessment of Pain
  • 1.   Location
  • 2.   Duration
  • 3.   Description
  • 4.   Numerical Rating Scale
  • 5.   FACES Rating Scale
• IV. Pharmacotherapy
  • 1.   Opioids
  • 2.   Non-opioids
  • 3.   Adjuvants
  • 4.   Epidural Analgesia
  • 5.   Nerve Block
• V. Alternative Therapies for Pain Control
• VI. Pain Management Case Studies
  • 1. Case Study: Patient Controlled Analgesia
  • 2. Case Study: Chronic Pain Management
• VII. Summary

Authors

Noah H. Carpenter, MD

Dr. Noah Carpenter is a Thoracic and Peripheral Vascular Surgeon. He completed his Bachelor of Science in chemistry and medical school and training at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Carpenter completed surgical residency and fellowship at the University of Edmonton and Affiliated Hospitals in Edmonton, Alberta, and an additional Adult Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery fellowship at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He has specialized in microsurgical techniques, vascular endoscopy, laser and laparoscopic surgery in Brandon, Manitoba and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and in Colorado, Texas, and California. Dr. Carpenter has an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Calgary, and was appointed a Citizen Ambassador to China, and has served as a member of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada, the Canadian College of Health Service Executives, the Science Institute of the Northwest Territories, Canada Science Council, and the International Society of Endovascular Surgeons, among others. He has been an inspiration to youth, motivating them to understand the importance of achieving higher education.

Kellie Wilson, PharmD

Kellie Wilson is a Doctor of Pharmacy practicing in Anaconda, Montana, where she lives with her husband and four children. She attended the University of Montana in Missoula where she graduated in 2009 with a doctorate in pharmacy. She later worked in Boise, Idaho for a large, retail pharmacy for 2 years, and then returned home to Montana to oversee an independently owned retail and long-term care pharmacy in Anaconda. As an independent retail pharmacist she has become very involved in psychiatric pharmacy for two major behavioral health organizations that are located around all of Montana. Kellie’s passion is retail pharmacy because she enjoys the interactions with customers as well as the challenges and rewards of staying current with the continuous changes in the pharmacy field.