www.pspbc.ca

Utilizing Opioids Safely:

Being the Doctor and not the Dealer

PSP Pain Management ModuleGalt Wilson, MD, MSc, FCFP

Keith White, MB ChB

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“I would not have survived without opioids”

“The pharmaceutical infiltration into pain management narrows a doctor’s understanding of pain and healing.”

--Lous Heshusius.

Inside Chronic Pain: An intimate and critical account.

20% of Canadians live with Chronic Non-cancer Pain (CNCP)

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Reward Pathway

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Jack encounters 3 doctors.- With thanks to Dr. Steve Barron.

1. The Easy Mark

2. The Confrontation

3. In Control

Good medicine is good theatre.

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Quality Assurance—privileged under the Health Professions Act.

Prescription Review Program (PRP)The College Perspective: Collegial & Educational

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“People with chronic pain need family physicians…”

1. Don’t turn patients away.

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“Currently, prescribing practices vary widely among family

physicians and pain physicians. Therefore physicians

must prescribe opioids according to their best

judgment, even if this goes against the wishes of

patients, the recommendations of consultants, or the

practices of patients’ previous physicians.” - Kahan et al.

2. Your prescribing is your responsibility - be clear about that.

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Always distinguish between: Acute pain Pain at the end of life Chronic non-cancer pain

3. Be clear about what you are treating

Lancet. June 25, 2011. (357—p 2151)

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Strong relative contraindications:

› Addiction (self or a household member)

› Mental illness

› Young age

› Functional somatic disorders

4. Patient selection is (probably) key

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Patient selection

JAMA, Published online May 9, 2013

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“The D.S.M. would do well to recognize that a broken heart is not a medical condition, and that medication is ill-suited to repair some tears.”

You can’t mend a broken heart with a prescription…

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Modest reduction in pain intensity. Uncertain functional improvement. Modest dosing: 60-85 morphine equivalents Addiction never systematically studied

5. Realistic Expectations

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Limit dose. (no empirical basis for titrating up)

Limit dispense size and duration.

Do not combine opioids with benzodiazepines

and/or sedative hypnotics. Zero tolerance for

alcohol.

6. Principles of Safe Prescribing

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7. Make prescribing contingent on specific nondrug (lifestyle) interventions:

Moderate exercise. Sleep hygiene. Smoking/alcohol cessation. Healthy eating. BC Self-management Program

(http://www.selfmanagementbc.ca/chronicpainprogram)

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Treatment agreements Random urine drug screens Pill counts Frequent visits

8. “Universal precautions” for safety

Mandatory in ER and Walk-in settings.

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Canadian Guideline http://nationalpaincentre.mcmaster.ca/opioid/

Provincial Academic Detailing (PAD) module—coming to your community

College Prescribers’ Course (twice yearly)—College website. Limited enrollment. Standardized patients. Collegial.

Call the College Prescription Review Program

To learn more about the role of opioids

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Chronic Pain and Suffering Symposium

Come to our annual CME event

March 7-8, 2014.“…attend this course before receiving [your] first Duplicate Prescription Pad”

Register via College website—

Physicians/Professional Development/Upcoming

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We’re on trial—but we can manage this.

“These examples convinced me that no amount of education would permit controlled release oxycodone to be prescribed safely by the vast majority of prescribers.”

NOT the College experience.

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Summary: Eight Prescribing Principles for Healers

1. Don’t turn patients away.

2. Your prescribing is your responsibility

3. Be clear about what you are treating

4. Patient selection is (probably) key

5. Realistic expectations: modest potential benefit and significant risk.

6. Modest dose/dispense size; No combinations

7. Make prescribing contingent on basic lifestyle expectations.

8. Review PharmaNet every time you Rx.