Recommendation

Safe and Effective Pain Care: A Comprehensive Guide for Opioid Prescribing in Primary Care

This curriculum focuses on improving practitioners’ ability to recognize, assess, diagnose, and treat pain in a variety of patients, reviewing the full spectrum of pain management options using case studies, evaluating nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic options (non-opioid and opioid), and providing risk reduction strategies through integration of opioids into individualized pain management plans. Clinicians will learn to recognize signs and symptoms of opioid dependence and abuse in order to optimally manage patients’ pain and medication use and will acquire skills to taper opioids when indicated.

Begin

CME/CE Information

4.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, 4.00 ABIM MOC or 4.00 AANP, including 3.00 AANP Pharm

Release Date: 10/23/2025

Expiration Date: 10/31/2026

Topics

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Safe and Practical Tips for Initiating Opioids

Faculty:

Katherine E. Galluzzi, DO, CMD, FACOFP

Practical Strategies for Monitoring and Tapering Opioids

Faculty:

Charles E. Argoff, MD, FABPM

Learning Objectives

Define key concepts, mechanisms, and classifications of pain to enhance clinical understanding
Assess pain effectively while identifying risk factors for nonmedical use of opioids, substance/opioid use disorders
Evaluate evidence-based nonpharmacologic and non-opioid approaches to pain management
Review the role of opioids in pain management, including indications, limitations, and considerations for safe use
Safely initiate, adjust, and discontinue opioid therapy in patients with acute or chronic pain
Counsel patients on the safe use, storage, and disposal of opioid analgesics, including overdose reversal agents
Create personalized pain management plans integrating both opioid and non-opioid therapies
Diagnose and manage opioid use disorder, using evidence-based approaches, including referrals to specialists when needed

Faculty

Charles E. Argoff, MD, FABPM

Vice Chair, Albany Medical College, Professor of Neurology and Urology

Katherine E. Galluzzi, DO, CMD, FACOFP

Professor and Chairperson, Department of Geriatrics, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

Oscar A. de Leon-Casasola, MD

Professor of Anesthesiology and Medicine, Senior Vice-Chair, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo School of Medicine

Disclosures

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by those in a position to influence the content of this activity. All have been mitigated by Pri-Med Institute:

Charles Argoff, MD, FABPM: Speaker for Averitas Pharma, AbbVie, Lilly, Lundbeck, Impel Pharmaceuticals, Kowa Pharmaceuticals, Nevro Corporation, Scilex Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals; Researcher for AbbVie; Consultant for Collegium Pharmaceutical, Nevro Corporation, Pain Scripts, Scilex Pharmaceuticals, Shiratronics, Tris Pharma, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Vertamical, and Xgene Pharma; Investigator for Lundbeck, and Teva Pharmaceuticals; Stock Holder for Pfizer and Trevena.

Katherine Galluzzi, DO, CMD, FACOFPT: Advisor for Eli Lilly

All others in control of content for this activity have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

State Licensure

This activity satisfies topic-specific CME/CE requirements (pain management, controlled substances, etc.) of many state licensing boards. Please check with your state’s licensing boards for specific requirements, and print this page as appropriate for documentation. For more information, visit https://www.pri-med.com/state/state-mandated

Iowa: This activity is designed to satisfy requirements of ARNPs, for CE regarding the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain. Please print this page as documentation, for submission with your CE certificate.

Texas: This activity is approved for Pain Management and Prescription of Opioids requirements from the Texas Medical Board/Board of Nursing, as well as Medical Ethics and/or Professional Responsibility.

This activity satisfies training requirements for the MATE Act, which requires all DEA-registered practitioners to complete 8 hours of CME/CE credit on opioid or other substance use disorders.

CME/CE Information

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

Accreditation Statement

Pri-Med Institute is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Designation Statement

Pri-Med Institute designates this enduring material for a maximum of 4.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

AANP

Accreditation Statement

Pri-Med Institute is accredited by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners^® as an approved provider of nurse practitioner continuing education. Provider number: 040308.

Designation Statement

This activity is approved for 4.00 contact hour of continuing education, which includes 3.00 hours of pharmacology.

Supported By

This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from the Opioid Analgesic REMS Program Companies

Education Partner

Miller Medical Communications, LLC