Incorporating ER/LA Opioid Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) into NP Curriculum
Saturday, April 5, 2014: 11:00 AM-12:15 PM
Mt. Elbert B (Grand Hyatt Denver)
Presenters: Brett Snodgrass, MSN, APRN, FNP-C1, Diane O. Tyler, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FNP-C, FAAN2, Joyce Knestrick, PhD, CRNP, FAANP3, Elizabeth Barker, PhD, CNP, FAANP, FACHE, FAAN4, Anne Norman, DNP, APRN, FNP- BC5 and Diane L. Padden, PhD, CRNP, FAANP5, (1)Comprehensive Primary Care, Bartlett, TN(2)School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX(3)Nursing, Frontier Nursing University, Washington, PA(4)College of Nursign, The Ohio State Universtiy, Columbus, OH(5)American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Austin, TX
Abstract:
Pain is one of the most common reasons for seeking primary care, yet many clinicians site lack of knowledge and confidence in their ability to manage acute and chronic pain in ambulatory settings. In a recent national survey, 71% of primary care NPs reported pain assessment and management were either minimally or not at all addressed in their original NP educational programs. Furthermore, inappropriate prescribing and use of pain medications are significant and well known problems. On July 9, 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for extended-release (ER) and long-acting (LA) opioid medications. The goal of this REMS is to reduce inappropriate prescribing, misuse, and abuse of ER/LA opioid analgesics while maintaining effective pain management for patients. Founded in June, 2010, CO*RE, a multidisciplinary team of 10 partners (including AANP) and 3 cooperating organizations, designed a core curriculum based on needs assessment, practice gaps, clinical competencies, and learner self-assessment to meet the requirements of the FDA REMS Blueprint.
This core curriculum has been delivered to well over 26,000 prescribing clinicians/learners across disciplines within the US as continuing education. While continuing education is an important method for on-going professional development, there is often a lag time from issuing new recommendations and practice guidelines to implementing curricular revision and dissemination into clinical education. The REMS content is essential entry-into-advanced practice and needs to be included in APRN curricula to prepare new graduates for practice. Since academic programs for all healthcare disciplines are already burgeoning with content, NP faculty must critically appraise not only content, but also effective and efficient teaching methods. This workshop will provide academic NP faculty with the knowledge and resources necessary to incorporate core content regarding long acting/extended-release opioids into their curriculum. The presentation will also include an overview of the recommendations for safe use of ER/LA opioids and innovative strategies for managing chronic pain in primary care.
