Target Audience: This activity is designed for physicians, advanced practice professionals, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, social workers, residents/fellows, health professional students, and other mental health clinicians. This activity is accredited for physicians, nurses, PAs, pharmacists, interprofessional teams, and other health professionals.
Credit Designations Available: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME, Nursing Contact Hours, Pharmacy CE Credit, Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit
Description: This course provides a framework for decision-making around opioid prescribing in individuals with serious illnesses such as cancer who also have a substance use disorder. Clinicians will learn factors to consider, including pain assessment, substance use history, and prognosis, and when buprenorphine might be appropriate to use as a primary medication for pain in the setting of SUD.
Educational Objectives:
- Identify common challenges in managing pain in individuals with BOTH substance use disorders (SUDs) and serious illness such as cancer
- Use a three-dimensional approach to assess whether to prescribe standard opioids or buprenorphine using case examples, including:
- Pain etiology
- Substance use history
- Prognosis
- Describe recommended uses of buprenorphine in this population
