By the completion of this module, the learner should be able to:

• define pain, discuss the pathophysiology of pain, and recognize the four main categories of pain
• identify the core components of a comprehensive pain assessment and describe the use of pain assessment scales and tools
• review the different types of nonpharmacological pain management strategies and interventional pain management procedures
• discuss the pharmacological management of pain using non-opioid and adjuvant analgesics
• define opioids and distinguish between opioid agonists, partial agonists, mixed agonist-antagonists, and opioid antagonists, and identify specific medications within each category
• demonstrate competency in best-practice opioid prescribing guidelines, including the proper prescribing and monitoring of patients on long-term opioid therapy
• discuss how to taper long-term opioid use and appropriate steps to take when terminating chronic opioid therapy
• recognize the potential for opioid misuse and abuse, the key features of opioid use disorder (OUD), and strategies to mitigate opioid misuse and OUD