Please note: This is the general version of the course: Pain Management: Comprehensive Review of Medications and Non-Medical Treatment R539. No pharmacology credits will be earned. Click here to take the pharmacology version.

Attention New Mexico Nurses: This course should not be taken if you are licensed in New Mexico.


Course Summary

Expiration Date: 12/21/2027

Treating pain encompasses many challenges, legal considerations, and strategic approaches. Challenges include accurately diagnosing pain, especially considering its subjective nature, and addressing underlying psychological factors that may exacerbate symptoms. Legal frameworks, such as New Mexico’s nurse pain management law outlined in 16.12.9 NMAC, are crucial in ensuring safe and effective pain management practices, emphasizing thorough patient evaluations, close monitoring, and participation in prescription monitoring programs to prevent substance misuse. Strategies to treat pain vary, encompassing pharmacological interventions like opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and adjuvant medications, as well as non-pharmacological approaches such as physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and interventional procedures. Multimodal approaches that combine different modalities tailored to individual patient needs offer the most promising outcomes, underscoring the importance of personalized care plans and ongoing research and education to continually refine pain management strategies and improve patient outcomes.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Federal Regulations
  • Prescription Monitoring Program Requirements
  • Classification of Pain
    • Acute Pain
    • Chronic Pain
    • Somatic Pain
    • Visceral Pain
    • Neuropathic Pain
    • Allodynia
    • Hyperalgesia
    • Referred Pain
  • Pathophysiology of Pain
  • Pain Experience Factors
  • Consequences of Untreated Chronic Pain
  • 8-Step Approach to Appropriate Pain Management
  • Patient Assessment
    • Assessment Tools
    • Numerical Rating Scale
    • Visual Analogue Scale
    • Pain Scales for Children and Infants
    • Physical Examination
  • Pharmacological Management
    • Initial: Assessment and Diagnosis
  • Pharmacological Agents
    • Opioid Analgesics
    • Morphine Milligram Equivalents
    • Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs
    • Muscle Relaxant
    • Anti-Seizure Drugs
    • Antidepressants
    • Alpha Adrenergic Agonist
    • Ketamine
    • Medical Marijuana
  • Non-pharmacological Pain Management
    • Massage Therapy
    • Cold and Heat Therapies
    • Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
    • Distraction, Guided Imagery, and Biofeedback
    • Hypnosis
    • Relaxation Techniques
    • Neurological and Neurosurgical Approaches
  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine
    • Chiropractic Manipulation
    • Music Therapy
    • Herbal Therapy
    • Reflexology
    • Magnetic Therapy
  • Controlled Substance Diversion and Opioid Use Disorder
    • Drug Diversion
    • Opioid Use Disorder and Pain Management
    • Opioid Use Disorder Management
  • Case Study: Fibromyalgia
    • Treatment Strategies for Fibromyalgia
  • Case Study: Acupuncture and Pain
  • Case Study: Pediatric Pain
  • Summary

Author

Richard Daniels, PharmD, BCPS

Richard “Cole” Daniels earned his Doctor of Pharmacy(PharmD) from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Montana in 2018. Throughout pharmacy school he completed a 3-year internship at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana in which he gained valuable experience in an acute care setting. Cole currently serves as a psychiatric clinical staff pharmacist at the Montana State Hospital. He has over 11 years of pharmacy experience having worked in several settings including retail, acute care, and inpatient psychiatric care. Cole has a diverse set of interests. However, acute care medicine, infectious disease, pain management, and asthma/COPD are a primary focus of his at the Montana State Hospital. He obtained board certification as a certified pharmacotherapy specialist in the Spring of 2022.