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  • Join Dr. Mark Garofoli on the front lines of the opioid crisis by earning a Pain Management Specialty Pharmacist (PMSP) Certificate!
    Combat the opioid crisis with freeCE's Convenient & On-demand training courses!


    freeCE offers pharmacies the opportunity to offer specialized training around the appropriate use of non-opioids in pain management for their patients. This training program equips learners with practical knowledge and the confidence needed to recommend opioid-free pain management strategies.

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    Background

    Pain Management Specialty Pharmacist: Non-Opioid Pain Management explores the pharmacist’s role in contemporary pain management. This topic is especially important, as prescribers responding to the pressures of the opioid crisis, continue to seek alternatives to traditional therapies. This training series evaluates the role, limitations, and options within this arsenal of pharmaceuticals.

    Program Description

    This 9.5-hour specialty certificate consists of 9 comprehensive modules specific to non-opioid therapy. This is part 2 of a three-part pain management program offered as a freeCE specialty certificate.

    This session seeks to explore the data behind non-pharmacologic pain management options, including exercise therapies, chiropractic therapies, massage, and the host of other therapies that may be used adjunctively.

    In this session, the role of cannabis is explored. The intricacies of the various formulations and legalities of this option are explored in detail.

    In this session, the tool of ‘nerve blocks’, interventional radiofrequency, and neurostimulation techniques are examined within the context of a comprehensive pain management regimen.

    In this session, one of the most assessable resources of all is examined in detail: the role of over-the-counter medications. Because these medications are so readily available, inappropriate use sometimes occurs. Pharmacists are in a unique position to help patients evaluate how these agents may (or may not) fit into the broader picture based on a number of patient specific factors. This session seeks to equip the pharmacist with the tools to initiate such conversations with confidence.

    This session is intended to be a comprehensive look at NSAIDS and the role that this drug class plays in overall pain management goals.

    In this session, the role of antidepressant medications in pain management is explored from both a holistic standpoint and a pharmacotherapy angle, equipping the pharmacist with another comprehensive pain management tool that falls outside of the opioid arena.

    In this session, the relationship between involuntary muscle contractions, spasms and the presence of pain is examined and defined. This session equips the pharmacist with the skills to recognize when this class of medications may be beneficial and how to recommend options among the array of medications that fall into this category.

    In this session, the role of benzodiazepines in pain management is examined. The limitations and therapeutic considerations are explored in detail.

    In this session, the role of gabapentinoids is examined within the context of a variety of patient populations seeking a comprehensive pain management approach.



    Faculty:

    Mark Garofoli PharmD, MBA, BCGP, CPE

    Dr. Mark “Pain Guy” Garofoli is a 2004 graduate from the Pitt School of Pharmacy and a 2008 graduate of the Strayer University MBA program, and is a Board-Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP), Certified Pain Educator (CPE), and Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist (CTTs), with APhA certificate training in Immunizations and Medication Therapy Management (MTM).

    He began his career as a pharmacist and field management with CVS Health, then became an MTM pharmacist with Humana Healthcare, before initially joining the WVU School of Pharmacy by developing MTM and managed care pain management programs. Dr. Garofoli created and coordinated the West Virginia Expert Pain Management Panel, which developed the West Virginia Safe & Effective Management of Pain (SEMP) Guidelines. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Experiential Learning for the WVU School of Pharmacy, along with being a Clinical Pain Management & Addiction Pharmacist at the WVU Medicine Center for Integrative Pain Management and faculty in the WVU School of Medicine Pain Fellowship.

    Mark is also a 2021 TEDx Talk presenter and a recipient of the WV GenerationRx Award. Dr. Garofoli has consulted as CDC grant reviewer, an expert witness in multiple criminal and civil court cases, multiple advisory boards, and is the host of the Pain Pod on the Pharmacy Podcast Network while also developing and conducting presentations across the country revolving around pain management, substance-use disorder (addiction), substances of abuse, and drug diversion.

    Some important notes to remember regarding the Pain Management Specialty Pharmacist: Non-Opioid Pain Management (PMSPNPM) Certificate:

    • Registration costs $135 for members, $235 for non-members.
    • Once you have completed the specialty certificate, you are eligible to claim a sharable digital badge. Learn more about badges here.
    • This program's final exam consists of 50 unique multiple-choice questions.
    • You have only three (3) attempts to pass the final exam.
    • You may not leave the final exam in the middle and return at a later time.
    • The final exam has no time limit; however, we recommend that you write the answers down in case you lose your Internet connection or get interrupted while taking the exam.
    • You will earn continuing education credit as you complete each activity, totaling 9.5 credits upon final completion
    • You will have 12 months to complete the specialty certificate before it expires from your account.
    • This specialty certificate is accredited for pharmacists ONLY.
     

    Requirements

    Pain Management Specialty Pharmacist: Non-Opioid Pain Management