Pain Management

At the 2025 SPPCP Virtual Conference, Carolyn Hall, PharmD, BCPS, and Maria Felton Lowry, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP, presented a comprehensive and practical framework for pharmacy professionals to build effective, adaptable mentorship relationships.

In a session at the 2025 Virtual Conference on Pain and Palliative Care, Isabella Zerfas, PharmD, and Abbey Galligan, PharmD, BCPS, explore effective pain management strategies for opioid use disorder (OUD) and complex persistent opioid dependence.

The new guidelines urge health care professionals to offer local anesthetics and other medications for intrauterine device (IUD) insertions and other gynecologic procedures.

With Oregon, Colorado, and New Mexico legalizing psilocybin-assisted therapy, opportunities for treatment are expanding.

Emma Murter, PharmD, MPH, and Madison N. Irwin, PharmD, BCPS, discuss the potential role of low-dose naltrexone in managing chronic pain in palliative care, highlighting its anti-inflammatory properties, limited adverse effects, and current evidence gaps—particularly in comparison to traditional opioids and adjuvant analgesics.

How would you counsel these patients?

The 2025 SPPCP Virtual Conference on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, will offer pharmacists and clinicians a full day of CE-accredited sessions on complex pain management, opioid use disorder, mentorship, and innovative approaches in palliative care, with opportunities for networking and professional development.

Results support a 2020 meta-analysis showing that older adults with chronic pain are nearly twice as likely to develop frailty compared to those without chronic pain.

Allison Ju-Chen Hu, PhD and Yuhua Bao, PhD describe results of their landmark study that found significant differences in opioid prescriptions in racially and ethnically minoritized communities.

Appellate court addresses application of legal doctrine to the matter.

A team of clinical and academic experts from the Association of Anaesthetists produced a consensus statement outlining the key components to minimizing the impact of harmful alcohol intake in the surgical population.

The label changes to buprenorphine extended-release injections can increase convenience and adherence for patients with moderate to severe opioid use disorder.

Currently, the agent is undergoing evaluation in a phase 2 clinical trial to determine its safety and efficacy.

Therapies like the newly approved suzetrigine, a nonopioid NaV1.8 pain signal inhibitor, could revolutionize pain management and mitigate the risks associated with opioid use.

Duloxetine offers treatment for various neuro-psychiatric and pain disorders in patients who have difficulty swallowing.

There were no substantial differences for the mindfulness with substance use or anxiety outcomes compared with the recovery control group.

Antiviral treatments can accelerate healing and reduce complications.

Although there were increases in prescriptions during the studies’ durations, the proportion of anxiety or pain medications on the same day of intrauterine device (IUD) insertion procedures were low.

The drug is a selective NaV1.8 pain signal inhibitor and is the first new class of medication to treat acute pain in over 20 years.

As medication experts, pharmacists can aid in treatment selection and support patients through the process.

Plaintiff argues that "blacklisting” certain individuals with opioid prescriptions was unlawful.

Short-term spinal cord stimulation could provide long-term pain relief and improve the overall quality of life for individuals with herpes zoster-associated pain and postherpetic neuralgia.

If approved, cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride (HCl) will be the first member of a new class of analgesic drugs for fibromyalgia.

In hospital and critical care settings, pharmacists can play a significant role in educating other health care providers about treatment options, proper dosing, and more.

GNSC-001 is a first-in-class gene therapy designed to offer long-term relief of musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Pharmacists, who play a crucial role at the intersection of prescribing and dispensing, are well-positioned to influence these disparities.

Opioid stewardship pharmacist Maureen Saphire, PharmD, BCGP, focuses on advocating for appropriate opioid access for patients with cancer and sickle cell disease, promoting safe opioid use, and supporting leadership and strategic planning as keys to successful opioid stewardship.

Brian Anderson, PharmD, RPh provides important considerations for pharmacists regarding patient use of benzodiazepines.

Jeff Boyer, PharmD, BCPS, discusses his role in opioid stewardship at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System, highlighting his work in pain management coordination, interdisciplinary collaboration, patient and provider education, and data-driven strategies to support safe opioid use and address the opioid crisis.

Opioid stewardship coordinator Stephanie Abel, PharmD, BCPS, discusses initiatives such as increasing naloxone access, refining pain management protocols, and addressing stigma around opioid use disorder, highlighting the importance of clear goals and emotional intelligence for effective stewardship programs.