Program description

Opioid analgesics are the mainstay medications for chronic pain that does not respond adequately to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or other relatively conservative approaches. 

Opioids are also associated with adverse gastrointestinal (GI) effects that affect an estimated 40% to 90% of patients on chronic opioid therapy. Most prominent among the GI symptoms is opioid-induced constipation (OIC). Inadequately treated OIC can diminish patients’ ability to function and their quality of life (QoL). In the United States, more than 240 million opioid prescriptions are written every year for noncancer pain, and while patients may develop tolerance to some adverse effects of opioid use, OIC is persistent and can occur at any point during opioid treatment. Recently, panels of authorities in pain management and gastroenterology have developed consensus statements about OIC definitions, diagnostic criteria, and recommended assessment instruments and have discussed stepwise treatment algorithms for OIC management. These efforts are important in establishing a shared understanding of OIC among the range of clinicians who provide care for patients with, or at risk of developing, OIC. This activity will discuss the pathophysiology and impact of OIC and a stepwise approach to OIC management. To conclude, you will see an interview with a 76-year-old woman who has had long-standing OIC to gain a patient perspective of what it is like to deal with this condition.

Educational objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

  • Recognize how opioid analgesia affects the gastrointestinal tract and creates risk for opioid-induced constipation (OIC)
  • Review the prevalence and impact of OIC
  • Improve clinician-patient dialogue to achieve timely diagnosis of OIC
  • Apply a stepwise approach, incorporating traditional and contemporary treatment strategies, when individualizing OIC management strategies

This 30-minute course expires on June 28, 2017.

It is approved for .5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)T

To take the course, click here or visit mycme.com