The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the launch of seven new training opportunities to help health care providers reduce overdose risk and improve patient outcomes. Training is available both online and in-person at no cost and includes continuing education credits for health care providers, which may also meet various licensing requirements.

Topics include:

Pain Management Guidelines – Focus on CDC’s 2022 clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids for pain and patient-centered care.

Pain Management Assessment and Clinical Decision-Making for Opioid and Nonopioid Medications – Covers initiating opioids for pain and non-opioid pain management options, the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, and the biopsychosocial model of pain.

Opioid Treatment for Pain Management – Describes considerations for opioid initiation, dosage, and tapering;

Identifying and Addressing Substance Use Impacts with Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) – Conducting screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment strategies;

Strategies to Enhance Patient-Clinician Communication for Pain Management Care – Introduces motivational interviewing and shared decision-making;

Pennsylvania Overdose Trends & Harm Reduction – Describes non-fatal and fatal overdose trends, data-informed overdose prevention, and naloxone access.

Health Equity in Pain Management and Substance Use Disorder Care – Focuses on disparities is the substance use continuum of care, and clinical communication that supports health equity.

The courses are offered for self-directed study via the Department of Health’s website. Register at PDMPEducation@qualityinsights.org.