Pain Management News
PAINWeek Prepares for New Education Requirements for Prescribers of Opioid Analgesics
The 2011 PAINWeek National Conference for Frontline Clinicians offers significant educational value as the FDA announces the elements of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) that will require all manufacturers of long-acting and extended-release opioids to develop information for the use of, and ensure training is provided to, prescribers of these medications.
(PRWEB) April 25, 2011
Recent developments in the legal and regulatory arenas pertaining to management of prescription pain medications offer new evidence of the timeliness and relevance of PAINWeek as essential education for frontline practitioners. On April 19, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy announced that it would seek legislation setting new education requirements for those who prescribe long-acting narcotics. Concurrently, the FDA announced the elements of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) that will require all manufacturers of long-acting and extended-release opioids to develop information for the use of, and ensure training is provided to, prescribers of these medications.
While the exact nature and dimensions of these initiatives are still in development, PAINWeek attendees will have the opportunity to enhance their understanding of this emerging issue at multiple points in the conference program. Curriculum tracks in Pharmacology, Pain and Chemical Dependency, and Medical/Legal Aspects of Pain Management will offer the latest perspectives. The National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI) will return with a full-day program examining the balance between enforcement and pain management as applied to narcotic medications.
PAINWeek, the National Conference on Pain for Frontline Practitioners, managed by Aventine Co., will convene for its fifth year, September 7-10 in Las Vegas. With over 100 hours of continuing medical education activities available, PAINWeek is the largest and best-attended pain management conference in the country.
Commenting on the curriculum enhancements, Debra Weiner, Director of PAINWeek Program Development, noted, “ We are clearly on the cusp of new and demanding educational requirements for practitioners in all disciplines in the area of prescription medication understanding and practice. PAINWeek has been addressing this issue for some time, and as a result, our attendees will thus be better equipped to deal with the new reality as it emerges. Our curriculum offers a comprehensive approach to chronic pain management that places medication within the broader spectrum of treatment options available to practitioners and patients.”
Over 1,500 healthcare professionals from diverse medical specialties are expected to attend PAINWeek 2011, to be held at the new Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on the Vegas strip. In addition to the course curriculum and its multidisciplinary faculty, attendees will be able to experience a comprehensive roster of commercially supported programs and special interest sessions, satellite symposia, scientific assemblies, and exhibitors. More information and the PAINWeek 2011 Schedule-at-a-Glance can be found at http://www.PAINWeek.org.
About PAINWeek
In 2007, Aventine Co. launched the PAINWeek National Conference on Pain for Frontline Practitioners, the first of its kind designed for frontline clinicians with an interest in pain management. This year, the PAINWeek National Conference is expected to welcome over 1,500 physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals seeking to improve their assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic pain. This has made PAINWeek the largest professional pain conference in the U.S. Building on this expertise in pain management education, Aventine is presenting the PAINWeekEnd™ Regional Conference Series in five US metropolitan areas in 2011. In addition to developing and producing the PAINWeek conference series, Aventine is also the management company for the American Society of Pain Educators (ASPE), a 501(c)(3) organization.
FDA looks to crack down on misuse of opioid painkillers
U.S. health officials unveiled Tuesday a new plan to try to curb misuse of extended-release and long-acting opioid pain killers such as OxyContin, morphine and methadone.
The new Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) is part of a larger multi-agency initiative announced Tuesday by the White House to reduce overall prescription drug abuse in the United States.
“This new REMS will provide tools to doctors and other prescribers for appropriate pain management to reduce risks and at the same time preserve access for patients and appropriate management of pain for those suffering from moderate to severe pain,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the agency that launched the new program.
For now, the initiative will be limited to extended-release and long-acting products, which, Woodcock said, “have a much greater risk than immediate-release because they contain more medicine.”
She did not rule out the possibility that the approach could be expanded to include immediate-release drugs in the future.
Right now, the action affects 16 companies that make both branded and generic products. The products affected are known under their generic names as hydromorphone, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, transdermal fentanyl and transdermal buprenorphine.
According to Woodcock, about 23 million prescriptions are dispensed each year for extended-release and long-acting opioids, which represented about 10% of the opioid market in 2009.
But, abuse and misuse is also extensive, with the FDA estimating that 33 million Americans aged 12 and older used such a drug for non-medical purposes in 2007, up from 29 million people in 2002.
Some 50,000 emergency room visits in 2006 were related to opioids, officials said.
“This is a large and growing problem and, despite a number of efforts over the years, it continues to grow,” Woodcock said. “It’s clear we have a huge problem on our hands.”
One of the main components of the new FDA program will be educating doctors and other prescribers on proper ways to prescribe opioids, as well as how to identify appropriate patients for these drugs.
“If a prescriber has a concern that a patient might unintentionally or intentionally misuse the drug, they need to know how to spot these individuals,” Woodcock said.
Doctors will also get materials on how to educate their patients, not only on proper use of opioids but also on proper storage and disposal.
Manufacturers will be required to use one central system to provide these educational materials, Woodcock said. And the FDA will monitor company-generated literature to make sure it isn’t promotional but is effective, she added.
Companies have 120 days to issue a draft REMS and Woodcock hoped matters will be completed by early 2012.
“In the meantime, doctors should be prescribing opioids as they have been doing and we hope they thoroughly discuss risks and benefits with their patients,” Woodcock said. “People taking opioids should continue to take them as directed and, if they have concerns, should consult a health-care professional.”
Florida Pain Clinic Society: PILL MILLS & FALSE STATISTICS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Florida Society of Pain Management Providers urges Government, Law Enforcement and the media to stop using false prescription drug data and statistics. The continued release of false and / or out of context information is solely intended to enflame the public. The misinformation that unfairly portrays Florida as ground zero in this issue has significant consequences for pain management patients and the physicians who provide legitimate care. It is unacceptable to make this a war on pain patients.
Facts have become the greatest casualty in the war on pain medications:
Recently the Kentucky Attorney General made the following false statement in his Sun Sentinel Op-Ed piece which continues to be repeated by leaders and media:
“Law enforcement officials believe that 85 percent of all oxycodone sold in the United States is sold in Florida.”
The Truth is:
Florida sold 16.8% of all oxycodone in the U.S. (DEA 2009 ARCOS 2009 populations)
And what about facts on all the other pain medications:
Source: DEA 2009 ARCOS per 100,000 populations (2009):
Tennessee sold 250% more codeine than Florida
Tennessee sold 250% more hydrocodone than Florida
Arizona sold 100% more morphine than Florida.
Maine sold 100% more methadone than Florida
Pennsylvania sold 75% more fentanyl than Florida
Kentucky was the #3 seller of hydrocodone / Florida was #21
Potency:
Morphine: 10 times more potent than codeine
Oxycodone: =/ or slightly more potent than morphine
Methadone: 10 times more potent than morphine
Fentanyl: 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine
The United States has a problem with diversion and abuse of pain medications; there must be a balanced approach in finding a solution so as not to affect patient pain care.
That approach:
Most importantly: A substantial increase in affordable drug treatment programs.
State Board of Medicine rules for pain clinic standards of practice, plus inspections.
Pain management licensing that bars felons.
State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs requiring physician participation and subpoena requirements for law enforcement access.
Physician education regarding the monitoring of patients on long term pain medication.
Patient education in the securing and disposing of their medications.
And lastly be forewarned that heroin is roaring back and soon will surpass Rx med abuse!
Leading Pain Management Experts to Present at the 9th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference (June 9-11; Chicago)
Chicago — Leading pain management experts will present at the upcoming 9th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven Ambulatory Surgery Center Conference: Improving Profitability and Business and Legal Issues on June 9-11, 2011, in Chicago.
This exclusive conference will be held at the Westin Hotel on North Michigan Avenue and is presented by the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, the national association for surgery centers, and ASC Communications, publisher of Becker’s ASC Review and Becker’s Orthopedic & Spine Review.
Leading pain management experts scheduled to present include:
Scott Glaser, MD, DABIPP, Pain Specialists of Greater Chicago
Nameer R. Haider, MD, Spinal & Skeletal Pain Medicine
Marsha Thiel, RN, MA, CEO, Medical Advanced Pain Specialists
Richard A. Kube, MD, CEO, Founder & Owner, Prairie Spine & Pain Institute
Vishal Lal, CEO, Advanced Pain Management
Amy Mowles, President & CEO, Mowles Medical Practice Management
Marsha Thiel, CEO, MAPS Medical Pain Clinics & MAPS Practice Solutions
And more!
These leaders will discuss key business, financial, clinical and legal issues facing pain management-driven ambulatory surgery centers.
Other highlights of the 9th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven Ambulatory Surgery Center Conference include:
1. 101 sessions and 134 speakers, including 25 CEOs and 30 physician leaders as speakers
2. Last year’s event included 725 attendees and 65 exhibitors
3. Gain practical guidance that can be used immediately
4. Outstanding keynote speakers including legendary NFL player and coach Mike Ditka
5. Terrific pre-conference sessions
6. 15 CME credits available
7. Register before May 1 and save $100
8. Additional discounts when registering two or more attendees, and for ASC Association members and paid Becker’s ASC Review subscribers