Chesapeake Health Education Program

Course Info

Chronic Pain Conundrums in Primary Care Practice

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Pain is the most common complaint for which patients visit their primary care provider, and conditions that cause chronic persistent or recurrent pain are encountered frequently in the primary care setting. In treatment for chronic pain not associated with end-of-life care, goals must include relief of discomfort and improvement of or, at a minimum, preservation of function. In addition, many of the pharmacological interventions used for pain relief can lead to unwanted complications such as increased sensitivity to pain (hyperalgesia) and addiction. This program will explore some of the challenges of chronic pain treatment, with emphasis on prevention and early detection of these complications. It will also discuss the best approaches to treating pain in patients already known to have substance use disorders.

Learning Objectives:

	Identify patients at high risk of developing aberrant medication-taking behaviors and addiction when treated with opioids, sedatives and other medications commonly prescribed for chronic pain, utilizing appropriate screening tools and interviewing strategies.
	Recognize signs and symptoms of developing addiction and distinguish these from symptoms of physical dependence
	Utilize available resources to arrange treatment for co-occurring and/or developing substance use disorders in patients being treated for chronic pain
	Develop safe alternative treatment plans for patients with a known history of substance abuse who develop chronic pain.

Faculty:

Dr. Penelope Ziegler

Schedule:

Thursday, April 29, 2010
Registration 8:30 am
Program 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Location:

Martinsburg VA Medical Center - Main Hospital - Room 2A-112C

Pricing:

General Registration Fee prior to 4/15/2010 $65 After 4/15/2010 $75
VA Registration Fee prior to 4/15/2010 $7 After 4/15/2010 $10

Contact Hours:

	5.5
ACCME - Physician/Physician Assistant/Psychiatrist	5.5
ANCC - Nurse	5.5
NAADAC - Addiction Counselor	5.5
SW - Social Worker	5.5
NBCC - Certified Counselor	5.5

Lunch:

Not Included

Enrollment
Limit:

Directions:

From Maryland area, take Route 70 West to Frederick onto Route 340 towards Charles Town. Take Route 9 West to Martinsburg: VA Medical Center is on the right. From West Virginia, Take Route I-81 to exit 12 and go East on Route 9 (or follow VA signs). VA Medical Center is located on the left approximately 5 miles from I-81. 2A-112C: Enter the front entrance, go to the front elevators, go to the 2nd floor, exit the elevators and turn left, look for the sign in the Hallway and you will enter 2A-122C to the left.

Driving
Directions: