Opioid Crisis Update

Course overview

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to: Summarize historical and current data related to the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States. Recall legislature aimed at mitigating the opioid crisis. Differentiate between selected opioid medications. Recall best practices for current use of prescription opioids. Identify alternative, non-opioid options for the treatment of pain. Identify criteria for considering tapering or discontinuing opioid therapy. Identify characteristics of opioid diversion among healthcare workers. Summarize interventions to decrease/limit the number of opioid overdoses in the United States. Differentiate between tolerance, dependence, and addition to opioids. List diagnostic criteria (DSM-V) for opioid use disorder. Course Overview This course provides information about the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States and the impact it continues to have on patients, healthcare workers, and others. Strategies to identify avenues of drug diversion and methods to reduce the misuse of opioids are addressed. The role healthcare workers play in mitigating this crisis is examined, and safe and effective alternative modalities for pain management are discussed.