July 13, 2019

Today’s pain management track will explore the latest trends and issues in managing chronic pain and may meet the opioid/pain management CECH requirements for some states.

Gina M. Painter, DPM, will present “Opioid Therapy Update.” Dr. Painter is an adjunct professor at Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, Meridian, ID, and adjunct professor at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, Yakima, WA.

Her lecture will cover a variety of topics related to opioids and narcotics, including CMS rules. “Many Part D Medicare carriers have certain protocols physicians must follow,” said Dr. Painter.

Other items the lecture will touch on include a basic understanding of MMEs, electronic state databases, contraindications, and management of patients undergoing soboxone treatment for addiction.

All physicians play a role in combating the national opioid epidemic, said Dr. Painter.

“Independently, you need to be responsible for your prescriptions. You want your patients to be adequately treated but not have extra pills lying around that may end up in the hands of friends, family, or neighbors.”

Later in the session, Wenjay Sung, DPM, of Arcadia, CA, will cover “Medical Cannabis for Pain Management.”

“More and more podiatrists are facing patients with the difficult task of treating pain in their foot or ankle,” says Dr. Sung. “The more evidence-based remedies available, the better a podiatrist can support his or her patient.”

With his lecture, Dr. Sung hopes attendees realize there is already a great deal of evidence to consider, with more lectures and research on the way.

Also during the session, Leslie G. McAhren, MPH, MFA, will present “Medical Cannabis Update.” Medical cannabis has seen increased use and acceptance among the medical community and has come a long way since the first state legalized its use in the 1990s. Currently 33 states and the District of Columbia allow some form of use.