Pain Treatment Topics (Pain-Topics.org) recently posted new reports and patient handouts on two topics: oxycodone use and management of intractable pain (IP). A new, peer-reviewed report exclusively from Pain Treatment Topics provides guidance on the safe prescribing of immediate-release and controlled-release oxycodone. A patient instructions handout also emphasizes medication compliance and safety to help prevent accidental misuse and avoidable adverse events.
"Commonsense Oxycodone Prescribing & Safety," written by Lee A. Kral, PharmD, BCPS, discusses the safe prescribing of all oxycodone formulations. Although oxycodone is an older opioid analgesic, used for more than 80 years, sensational news stories telling of its misuse, abuse, and overdose often overshadow its effectiveness. Generally reserved for patients who have intolerable adverse effects from morphine or other opioids that prevent adequate titration for desired analgesia, oxycodone's ultimate role depends on patient response, prescriber comfort in using the agent, and relative cost considerations. A two-page patient instructions handout entitled "Safely Taking Oxycodone" is available at the site in English and Spanish. Developed by Lee A. Kral, PharmD, BCPS, and Stewart B. Leavitt, MA, PhD, these instructions can be downloaded and reproduced free of charge for distribution at the time oxycodone analgesia is prescribed. The handouts are intended for use as discussion guides for face-to-face education of patients and their families or caregivers. The emphasis of the handouts is on medication compliance and safet, to help prevent misuse and avoidable adverse events potentially associated with oxycodone analgesia therapy. The handout also describes warning signs of oxycodone overdose and instructs family members or caregivers to immediately seek emergency assistance if any occur. The oxycodone-related materials are available at http://www.pain-topics.org/opioid_rx/oxycodone.php#OxyRx.
Also new to the site is a "Survival Handbook" for patients who suffer the constant, severe, and disabling distress of IP. Because this condition is often undertreated, this guidebook also can be useful for healthcare providers. IP afflicts up to 70,000 patients in the United States who often have difficulty receiving proper treatment for their severe, unrelenting, and usually incapacitating pain. The "Intractable Pain Patient's Handbook for Survival" is a 35-page PDF document that may be downloaded free of charge at the Pain-Topics.org Web site and copied for distribution. The author, Forest Tennant, MD, DrPH, is a pain treatment specialist who has more than 30 years' clinical experience and is a widely recognized authority on IP conditions. He is the founding editor-and now Editor Emeritus-of the journal Practical Pain Management. According to Tennant, IP is much more serious than typical chronic pain conditions such as arthritis, headaches, back pain, and others, because the pain never stops and it can negatively affect heart function, hormonal balance, and other body systems. If untreated or undertreated, IP can be fatal. Tennant further observes that many healthcare providers do not know how to effectively treat IP, which requires a customized treatment plan that often involves a combination of strong analgesics and adjunctive therapies. The handbook takes a no-nonsense approach and explains in everyday language how patients can communicate with healthcare providers, insurance companies, family, and others to receive proper care.
Tennant also offers commonsense advice on the many medication options, diet and weight control, and other important but often overlooked subjects, such as
* how to avoid debilitating complications of IP
* the need for medication compliance and guarding against drug overdose
* ensuring an adequate supply of medication at home and during travel
* effective coping strategies leading to a more positive overall attitude for patients
An appendix includes questionnaires to identify pain triggers and pain relievers. Although this document is intended for distribution to patients, healthcare providers will find it of value for understanding IP, its treatment, and the many barriers patients with IP must overcome. The PDF handbook is available at http://www.pain-topics.org/pdf/IntractablePainSurvival.pdf.
Pain Treatment Topics and the Pain-Topics.org Web site provide open access to noncommercial, evidence-based clinical news, information, research, and education on the causes and effective treatment of the many types of pain conditions. The materials are independently produced and currently supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Mallinckrodt Inc., St. Louis, MO, a manufacturer of generic opioid analgesic products.