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VA » Health Care » Pain Management, Opioid Safety, and PDMP (PMOP) » Pain Management » Opioid Safety - Provider Education

Pain Management, Opioid Safety, and PDMP (PMOP)

Opioid Safety - Provider Education

Provider and team education is one of the essential elements of high-quality pain care. This section is regularly updated and provides links to a variety of educational resources.

Effect of Opioid vs Nonopioid Medications on Pain-Related Function in Patients

Title/Link	Description
Effect of Opioid vs Nonopioid Medications on Pain-Related Function in Patients With Chronic Back Pain or Hip or Knee Osteoarthritis Pain * (PDF)	VA study shows that patients started on opioids managed their pain no better than patients taking safer non-opioid pain medications. After 12 months of treatment, patients on opioids had more side effects and slightly worse pain control.

Educational Resources

Title/Link	Source	Description
(PDF)	U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)	This HHS Guide for Clinicians on the Appropriate Dosage Reduction or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Analgesics provides advice to clinicians who are contemplating or initiating a reduction in opioid dosage or discontinuation of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain.
Pain Educational Videos *	Defense & Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management(DVCIPM)	DoD/VA pain management curriculum for primary care providers. Series of pain management educational videos targeting the most common issues facing Providers and Patients.
Management of Opioid Therapy (OT) for Chronic Pain	VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines	Guideline describes the critical decision points in the Management of Opioid Therapy (OT) for Chronic Pain and provides clear and comprehensive evidence based recommendations.
Management of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines	VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines	Guideline describes the critical decision points in the Management of Substance Use Disorder and provides clear and comprehensive evidence based recommendations.
Pain & Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) Materials	VA National Academic Detailing Service	Educational module on Pain Management and Opioid Safety is to support the Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI), to help educate providers on safe pain management practices
Opioid Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution (OEND)	VA National Academic Detailing Service	OEND program has focused on education of providers on Naloxone distribution to Veterans on long-term opioid therapy.
S.T.O.P. P.A.I.N. Educational Materials	VA National Academic Detailing Service	Materials helpful to providing academic detailing for providers managing patients with conditions related to pain.
	Center for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) Guidelines	CDC developed and published the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain to provide recommendations for the prescribing of opioid pain medication for patients 18 and older in primary care settings.
DVCIPM - Clinical Resources *	Defense & Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM)	Defense & Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM) provides a wide variety of clinical tools, resources, meetings, and workshops available to the providers.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)	This information offers safety advice for prescribers to help prevent opioid-related overdoses.
Pathways to Safer Opioid Use *	Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion	Interactive training tool.

Opioids - Resource Topics

Disclaimer: *Links will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs Website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.

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