CMR Institute | Education for Pharmaceutical Representatives, Biotech, & Medical Device Industries

Focus on Pain Management

This course begins with a discussion of the anatomy and physiology of pain, the different types of pain and their classification, and methods used to assess pain in particular groups of patients. Next, the course reviews guidelines for pain management, including appropriate use of pharmacotherapy such as opioids, nonopioid analgesics and adjuvants, and nonpharmacological therapies. The course then discusses team approaches to pain management, pain management for terminally ill patients, the emergence of pain management centers, and pain management programs.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to discuss the anatomy and physiology of pain, classification of pain, and tools used in the assessment of pain; discuss guidelines for pain management, and available pharmacotherapy and nonpharmacological therapies for pain control; and discuss various pain management programs now available.

Who Should Take This Course

Sales representatives and managers who interact with healthcare practitioners, including physicians, anesthetists, nurses and nurse practitioners, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists, and physical, occupational, and other therapists, and those with an interest in the comprehensive management of pain.

Career Applications/Benefits

Pain is the most common symptom prompting people to seek medical care and is the second leading cause of medically related absence from work. Chronic pain conditions represent a major source of disability and healthcare expense. Many agencies have established pain management guidelines for conditions such as acute low back pain, cancer, arthritis, sickle cell disease, and pain in elderly patients. Several effective options exist for the management of pain, and many authorities now recommend an interdisciplinary team approach to pain management. Pharmaceutical companies have an opportunity to make physicians and others on pain management teams aware of available options and new products for alleviating pain. This course will benefit those in pharmaceutical companies that develop and market such products. For healthcare representatives and others with an interest in pain management, an awareness of pain management guidelines and their rationale will be critical to understanding the way clinicians seek to manage their patients’ pain and the various treatment alternatives available to them.