Melissa Walker – AOA CO*RE REMS: Pain Management & Opioids: Balancing Risks & Benefits

This session, titled CO*RE/GOMA Pain Management and Opioids: Balancing Risks and Benefits curriculum, is newly updated to reflect the latest information in this vital area of healthcare. The thoroughly revised curriculum addresses: the nature and pathophysiology of pain, assessing patients in pain, creating a pain treatment plan, initiating opioid therapy; managing patients on opioid analgesics; educating patients and caregivers; and understanding opioid use disorder. This program meets many state's requirements for opioid education. It covers the content in the Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) education requirement (“Blue Print”), issued by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in September 2018.

By the end of the presentation, learners should be able to: 
1.        Describe the pathophysiology of pain as it relates to the concepts of pain management.
2.        Accurately assess patients in pain.
3.        Develop a safe and effective pain treatment plan.
4.        Identify evidence-based non-opioid options for the treatment of pain.
5.        Identify the risks and benefits of opioid therapy.
6.        Manageongoing opioid therapy.
7.        Recognize behaviors that may be associated with opioid use disorder.

The Georgia Osteopathic Medical Association is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association to provide osteopathic continuing medical education for physicians and designates this program for a maximum of 1.0 AOA Category 1-A credits and will report CME and specialty credits commensurate with the extent of the physician's participation in this activity.

Grievance Policy:
All grievances should be in writing and should specify the nature of the grievance.  Initially, all grievances should be directed to GOMA’s Executive Director, who will then forward said grievance to the CME Planning Committee.  All grievances will receive an initial response in writing within 30 days of receipt.  If the participant does not receive a satisfactory response, then they can then submit a complaint in writing to the Bureau of Osteopathic Education of the AOA at 142 East Ontario Street, Chicago, IL 60611.