Course Summary

Expiration Date: 11/25/2028

Migraine and other primary headaches are highly prevalent and disabling conditions that drive major healthcare and economic burden. Migraines affect 12–15% of people annually, with women disproportionately affected, while tension-type and cluster headaches add further impact. Once thought vascular, migraines are now recognized as a disorder of brain excitability and pain signaling involving the trigeminovascular system and calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP). Diagnosis is clinical, and management includes lifestyle modifications plus acute and preventive therapies such as NSAIDs, triptans, gepants, ditans, oral preventives, onabotulinumtoxinA, and CGRP monoclonal antibodies. This activity reviews epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment, highlighting evidence-based strategies for nurses and nurse practitioners to improve care and outcomes.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Epidemiology and Societal Impact of Migraine and Other Primary Headaches
  • Pathophysiology of Migraine
  • Diagnosis and Symptoms
  • Distinguishing Migraine from Tension-Type Headache
  • Migraine Triggers & Risk Factors
  • Management of Migraines
    • Dietary Approaches in Migraine Management
    • Dietary Supplements
    • Practical Tips for Clinical Use
  • Medical Management of Migraine: Acute and Preventive Therapies
    • Acute (Abortive) Treatment
    • First-line Simple Analgesics and NSAIDs
    • Triptans: The Standard for Moderate to Severe Attacks
    • Emerging options: Gepants and Ditans
    • Adjunctive Therapies
    • Preventive (Prophylactic) Treatment
    • Traditional Oral Preventives
    • OnabotulinumtoxinA
    • CGRP-targeting Therapies
    • Combination Preventive Strategies
    • Practical Prescribing Considerations
    • Comprehensive Migraine Management Strategy
  • Journal Club: Fremanezumab in Real-World Migraine Care (FRIEND3)
    • Background
    • Methods
    • Results
    • Discussion
  • Summary

Authors

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.

Luke Almos, PharmD

Luke Almos will be graduating from the University of Montana’s Skaggs School of Pharmacy in the spring of 2026. He has 3 years of experience in retail pharmacy, with interests in inpatient and ambulatory patient care. He has actively contributed to research and educational materials throughout his undergraduate education. His primary interests are metabolic disorders, anticoagulation management, and providing patient education. Luke’s primary goal is to help implement initiatives and provide education resulting in impactful patient care across all specialties.