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CME Activity on Responsible Opioid Prescribing
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The Continuing Medical Education (CME) accredited version of the
book Responsible Opioid Prescribing is now available. This activity is jointly sponsored by the University of
Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives, and the Federation of State Medical
Boards.
A joint press release by the sponsoring organizations can be viewed
here. More information about the activity, including where to purchase the book and how to register for the online CME post-test,
can be viewed at http://www.aspi.wisc.edu/rop.html. If you have additional questions, please contact Ronna Popkin at rapopkin@wisc.edu.
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Update on FDA Withdrawal of Short-Acting
Opiates From the US Market
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On 31
March 2009, the FDA announced the mandatory withdrawal form the US market of short-acting “narcotics” manufactured
by nine companies, as none of the products have been approved for use (demonstrating safety and efficacy). This includes all
morphine 20mg/ml products and several other short-acting forms of morphine, as well as oxycodone and hydrocodone (but
not oxycodone 20mg/ml).
Thanks to input from
palliative care and pain management providers and organizations, the FDA has reversed itself for now on withdrawing
morphine 20mg/ml from the market.
A conference call on this issue, held with the FDA on 9 April 2009, is available for replay, until 15 April
2009, 11:59 PM EDT, at 1-866-419-2678. You will be asked to leave your name and
telephone number.
Other products (morphine,
oxycodone and hydromorphone IR tablets) are not affected by this reversal. You
may already find shortages for these products; manufacturing is mandated to cease on 9 May 2009.
For more information on the shortages of these drugs, refer to this bulletin from the American
Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP).
Health care professionals
are encouraged to report each and every shortage of these medications encountered to the email address drugshortages@fda.hhs.gov.
All correspondence
should include your professional information, name of the drug, your location, name of wholesaler, (ASK the pharmacist
which wholesaler they use -- Cardinal, McKesson or AmeriSource-Bergen are the
big three) as well as your affiliation with NCPI or other association involved with promoting pain management.
Health
care professionals need to concretely demonstrate how patient care is being negatively impacted by this FDA action. See the FDA web site for more information at http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/unapproved_drugs/morphine_extension.htm
Comments to legislators
may best be directed to those on committees with FDA oversight, especially if you live or work in their districts. The committees have web sites listing all committee members:
House: Energy and Commerce
Chair, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)
http://energycommerce.house.gov/
Senate: Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Chair, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
http://help.senate.gov/
The Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition expressed their concern in a letter sent to the FDA. The coalition consists of The American
Academy of Hospice and Palliative Care (AAHPM), The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), The Hospice
and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) and The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC).
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FREE Registration for 5th Annual Alaska Palliative Care Symposium and 1st International Telehealth
Palliative Care Symposium
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The 5th Annual Alaska Palliative Care Symposium and 1st International Telehealth Palliative Care Symposium will be
jointly held May 5-7, 2009 for doctors, mid-level practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and other health care
providers. Join the symposia at selected sites, through video-teleconferencing or on the web. International palliative
care experts discuss current palliative care topics in three, four-hour sessions. Continuing Education Units/Continuing Education
are available for physicians, mid-level practitioners, nurses, and social workers.
Join these symposia in person at selected sites, through video teleconferencing, or by web streaming. Registration
is free at www.palliativeak.org.
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FREE Educational and Peer Support Classes
for Cancer Patients and Caregivers
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"I Can Cope" is a series of free, educational, peer
support classes offered by the American Cancer Society over the telephone on the first Wednesday of each month, from 10:00
AM to 12:00 noon Pacific time. "I Can Cope" is exclusively for adult cancer patients and caregivers.
The next 3 classes will be "Exploring Self-Esteem and Intimacy", on Wednesday, March 4, "Relieving Cancer Pain" on April 1,
and "Nutrition During and After Cancer Treatment" on May 6. Pre-registration
is required. Call 1-800-ACS-2345 to register. Registration deadline for the March 4th class is February 25.
Register by March 25
for the April 1st class on "Relieving Cancer Pain". Register by April 29 for the May 6th class on "Nutrition During and After
Cancer Treatment".
A description of these classes can be viewed here.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the "I Can Cope" program can be viewed here. Self-guided classes are also available
online at www.cancer.org/onlineclasses
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American Pain Society releases new Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Chronic Opioid Therapy
in Chronic Non-cancer Pain
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Beverly Nicholson Receives State Pain Initiative Champion Award
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Beverly Nicholson, R.N., M.S., A.O.C.N., received the State Pain Initiative Champion Award at the Annual
Meeting of the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives (ASPI), June 23, 2007, in Boston. Beverly has served as Chair of the Northern
California Pain Initiative (NCPI) from September 2005 to present, and has served on the NCPI Advisory Council since 2004.
Congratulations, Beverly!
A citation prepared by the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives, describing the award and Beverly's service to the Northern
California Pain Initiative, can be viewed here.
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CME Webcast on Treating Painful Vertebral Compression Fractures
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The Cleveland Clinic has made available for viewing at anytime an archived webcast of a satellite symposium
from the Pallative Medicine 2007 International Symposium. To view the webcast, go to http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/fractures
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New Pain Management Toolkit on Pain and Dementia
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The Resource Center of the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives (ASPI) has released a new educational tool for detecting
pain in patients with dementia. “Detecting Discomfort in Dementia: Focus on Behaviors - What Nursing Assistants
Need to Know About Pain” was developed under the direction of Karen Stevenson, MS, RN, Manager of Professional
Education and Institutional Change Programs for ASPI and June Dahl, PhD., Senior Advisor for ASPI. The 13-minute educational
video and the accompanying booklet, “Tools for Inservice Education” provide the necessary information
to help nursing assistants understand the role they play in practicing good care for cognitively impaired residents in pain.
This videotape, as well as others in the ASPI video series on effective pain management practices, can be ordered online
from The Resource Center of the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives, at http://www.trc.wisc.edu.
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Racial, Cultural, Ethnic Factors Affect End-of-Life Care
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The California HealthCare Foundation has published a new report describing how Californians' end-of-life care differs by
race, culture and ethnicity. The report identifies gaps in providing culturally sensitive services and offers recommendations
for change.
The full report, plus supplemental materials on methodology, are available for free download from the California HealthCare
Foundation website, at http://www.chcf.org/topics/chronicdisease/index.cfm?itemID=131674.
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2008 Progress Report Card Now Available
from the Pain and Policy Studies Group
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The Pain and Policy Studies Group has made available on its website the 2008 update to its two reports -- a Progress
Report Card and an Evaluation Guide. The Report Card provides a letter grade for each State based on the quality of
its policies (laws, regulations, guidelines) that influence pain management. The Evaluation Guide provides a profile
of each state's policies and how the policies enhance or impede pain management.
Both documents can be viewed or downloaded from the Pain and Policy Studies Group website at http://www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/Achieving_Balance/index.html
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January 2009 Issue of ASPI Pain Relief Forum Newsletter Online
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The January 2009 edition of the Pain Relief Forum E-Newsletter of the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives
is now online and can be viewed at http://aspi.wisc.edu/newsletter/
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Health Care Professionals Needed for the Hurricane
Katrina Relief Effort
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The Office of The Surgeon General and the Office of Public Health
Emergency Preparedness are in the process of mobilizing and identifying healthcare professionals and relief personnel to assist
in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
They are currently looking for multidisciplinary healthcare professionals
and relief personnel with expertise in a wide range of disciplines.
Go to https://volunteer.ccrf.hhs.gov or call the
Hurricane Katrina Volunteer Call Center at 1-866-KATMEDI (1-866- 528-6334) to learn more.
Volunteers are advised that individuals must be healthy enough
to function under spartan field conditions. Workers will be non-paid temporary Federal employees,
and will therefore be eligible for coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act for liability coverage and Workman’s Compensation
when functioning as HHS employees. Although there will not be any salary, travel and per diem will be paid.
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A sample list of frequently used pain terminology is now available
online. A link to the list can be found here on
the "Related Topics" links page. To go directly to the online list,
click here.
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Assessment Tools for Adult and Pediatric Patients
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Interactive Communication on American Pain Foundation website
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PainAid http://www.painfoundation.org/PainAid/page.asp?file=page_home.htm is the interactive section of the American Pain Foundation's website.
Find Conference Rooms (regularly scheduled chats on a range of issues); Discussion Boards (threaded message boards on a broad
range of topics); and Ask the Expert feature (pose questions to licensed healthcare professionals)
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Sales and Marketing of Palladone Suspended
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Duragesic Package Insert Black Box Warning
Changes Announced
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