Recognizing the critical role health care teams play in preventing overdose, the Department of Health (DOH) launched the Comprehensive Approaches to Pain Management, Opioid Prescribing, and Substance Use Care education modules to assist providers and care teams. DOH offers live and online education sessions at no-cost to participants. Participants are eligible to receive continuing education credits and certain modules may meet additional Pennsylvania licensing and relicensing requirements.
Comprehensive Approaches to Pain Management, Opioid Prescribing, and Substance Use Care
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the aims of the 2022 CDC clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids for pain.
- Describe the CDC’s rationale for revising the 2016 guideline.
- Describe the 2022 guideline and identify the focus on patient-centered care.
Learning Objectives:
- Develop a collaborative, stepped care approach to pain management informed by the biopsychosocial model of pain.
- List the steps in the patient assessment process when determining treatment options, including whether to initiate opioids for pain.
- Identify nonopioid medications for pain management.
- Describe noninvasive nonpharmacologic approaches to pain management.
- Explain how to use the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program system and describe how it informs clinical decision-making.
- Identify trends in the dispensation of controlled substances in Pennsylvania.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify factors in determining whether to initiate opioids for pain, including risks and benefits.
- Describe key considerations for opioid selection and dosage determination.
- Explain when to prescribe immediate release (IR) vs. extended-release/long-acting (ER/LA) for acute, subacute, and chronic pain.
- Develop long-term opioid tapering protocols collaboratively, avoiding abrupt or rapid tapering.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how substance use screenings can assess risk,
- Diagnose patients for opioid and stimulant use disorder,
- Conduct a patient brief intervention using the FRAMES model which stands for Feedback, Responsibility, Advice, Menu of Options, and Self-Efficacy.
- Develop strategies to support patients with unhealthy substance use,
- Identify treatment options and refer patients to appropriate SUD care options, and finally
- Describe SUD treatment, referral, and clinician mentorship and training resources.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe motivational interviewing (MI) and explain how the MI framework can support patient-centered care in the context of pain management.
- Define shared decision-making (SDM) and list techniques for implementing it into practice
- Apply strategies to build and maintain trust with patients to support provider-patient partnerships and shared decision-making.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe trends in PA drug overdose surveillance, mortality, and morbidity data.
- Define harm reduction and explain the value of the harm reduction approach.
- Identify strategies for implementing harm reduction into clinical practice
- Describe strategies to increase access to naloxone.
Learning Objectives:
- Increase awareness of racial and gender literacy in pain management.
- Identify health care disparities along the substance use disorder (SUD) continuum of care.
- Describe clinical communication approaches that support equitable health outcomes.
- Use medical documentation to improve social determinants of health that make treatment more accessible and effective.
Learning Objectives:
- Advise the oral health community on the role they play in addressing the overdose epidemic.
- Provide guidelines to inform the oral health community how to appropriately manage dental pain.
- Provide resources for the oral health community pertaining to opioids in dentistry such as PDMP usage, electronic prescribing, and further education.
Learning Objectives:
- Use the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program as part of the care team strategy to screen and identify people living with substance use disorder (SUD).
- Identify tools, communication strategies, and community resources to support evidence-based care for people living with SUD.
- Explain how providing evidence-based care and support to people living in recovery can promote continued commitment to beneficial lifestyle changes.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize the importance of evidence-based interventions to treat opioid use disorder in pregnancy for both mother and infant.
- Explain how stigma affects access and delivery of care to pregnant and postpartum people living with opioid use disorder (OUD).
- Determine strategies to assess opioid use disorder in pregnant and postpartum people and provide referrals to assessment and treatment.
- Explain care considerations for pregnant and postpartum women, and infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)/neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS).
Live Education Sessions
DOH’s education partner, Quality Insights, is currently scheduling no-cost virtual and on-site education sessions in all Pennsylvania counties through August 2028. Visit Quality Insight's website to register or email PDMPEducation@qualityinsights.org for more information.
Online Self-Study Modules
If you are unable to attend a live education session, modules are also available as online, self-study courses on TRAIN PA at no-cost to participants. You can find them by clicking on the direct links below.
Coming soon: Comprehensive Approaches to Pain Management, Opioid Prescribing, and Substance Use Care educational modules 1-7 will be available soon on TRAIN PA.
Continuing Education (CE) Credits
These modules have been planned and implemented by the CAMC Health Education and Research Institute and Quality Insights. CAMC Health Education and Research Institute is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the health care team.
| Physicians and Physician Assistants | Nurses and Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners | Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, and Podiatrists |
|---|---|---|---|
CE per Module | 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit | 1 contact hour | 1 contact hour |
Physicians: The CAMC Health Education and Research Institute designates this virtual live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses: The CAMC Institute for Academic Medicine is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This offering has been approved for 1 contact hour (JA0026-22-22-471).
Others: Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) credits are accepted by the following: American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO), Pennsylvania State Board of Optometry, and Pennsylvania State Board of Podiatry. ANCC nursing continuing education associated with this activity will be accepted by the Pennsylvania Board of Social Workers. Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors may also claim CME/CE credit.
Opioid or other SUD training requirement for DEA registrants: Each module also fulfills one of the required eight training hours on opioid or other substance use disorders treatment, as mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 for DEA-registered practitioners.
Coming soon: More information on clinician use of modules to meet Pennsylvania Act 124 of 2016 opioid education requirements or Patient Safety/Risk Management requirements.
This module has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the American Dental Association Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP) through partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention and the University of Pittsburgh. The University of Pittsburgh is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a Service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.
The maximum number of hours that may be awarded for this Continuing Education activity is 1.0 contact hours. The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Division of Continuing Education will recognize this properly sponsored program for the maintenance and improvement of professional competence.
Opioid or other SUD training requirement for DEA registrants: This module also fulfills one of the required eight training hours on opioid or other substance use disorders treatment, as mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 for DEA-registered practitioners.
These modules have been planned and implemented by the CAMC Health Education and Research Institute and Quality Insights. CAMC Health Education and Research Institute is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the health care team.
| Physicians and Physician Assistants | Nurses and Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners | Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, and Podiatrists |
|---|---|---|---|
CE per Module | 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit | 1 contact hour | 1 contact hour |
Physicians: The CAMC Health Education and Research Institute designates this virtual live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses: The CAMC Institute for Academic Medicine is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This offering has been approved for 1 contact hour (JA0026-22-22-471).
Others: Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) credits are accepted by the following: American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO), Pennsylvania State Board of Optometry, and Pennsylvania State Board of Podiatry. ANCC nursing continuing education associated with this activity will be accepted by the Pennsylvania Board of Social Workers. Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors may also claim CME/CE credit.
Opioid or other SUD training requirement for DEA registrants: These modules also fulfill one of the required eight training hours on opioid or other substance use disorders treatment, as mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 for DEA-registered practitioners.
The following modules from the Department’s previous curriculum are still available at no-cost on TRAIN PA. Continuing education credits are available to participants who complete these modules by June 30, 2025. Continuing education will not be available for these modules starting July 1, 2025. Learn more about continuing education that is available through June 30, 2025.
- Module 1: Why Using the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) is Important for Achieving Optimal Health for Pennsylvania Citizens
- Module 2: Effective and Efficient Use of the PDMP
- Module 3: Using the PDMP to Optimize Pain Management
- Module 4: Opioid Prescribing Guide
- Module 5: Referral to Treatment for Substance Use Disorder Related to Opioid Use
- Module 6: Approaches to Addressing Substance Use Disorder with Patients Identified by the PDMP
- Module 7: Effective Opioid Tapering Practices
To aid Emergency Departments (ED) in increasing knowledge on topics such as harm reduction, buprenorphine initiation, linkage to care, and stigma, the Department's PA-SUN program created no-cost online educational modules for ED providers. Learn more about PA-SUN.