You Have Been Invited!
Kristen Clancy, PharmD
Dr. Kristen M. Clancy, PharmD, MHA, has worked or volunteered for non-profit organizations in public health and safety for over 20 years, her entire professional career. She holds a Doctorate of Pharmacy from Texas A&M and a Masters in Healthcare Administration from the University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley. She has also been board-certified in nutrition support through the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) since 2012. Dr. Clancy has been a police dispatcher, EMT, health inspector, vet tech, pharm tech, med tech, tech tech and all around inquisitive and outspoken community advocate. Dr. Clancy has been featured as a guest lecturer at Texas A&M University College of Pharmacy, the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, and Lone Star College. She has also been a guest speaker on the series “Chronic Pain: Doesn’t have to be a Pain on the Couch”, Medical World News Network contributing speaker “Volunteering and Non-profit Work from the Pharmacy,” and was most recently featured in Drug Topics Pharmacy Journal: “American Pharmacists Month: 4 Pharmacists Helping Their Communities.” Dr. Clancy is the founder and director of Rx Recovery, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help patients obtain their prescription medications through logistics, education and advocacy work. She has been awarded the Silver Service Award from the American Red Cross, and nominated for the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Texas A&M College of Pharmacy. In her role as a JustServe Volunteer Coordinator since 2019, Dr. Clancy has recruited multiple non-profits to participate in the JustServe website in addition to identifying impromptu volunteer opportunities for community members. Dr. Clancy has helped plan and staff multiple blood drives, served as a Surrogate Parent and academic advocate for Klein ISD students in foster care, and has a fondness for animal rescue and rehabilitation…her favorite volunteer effort.
Meeting the Challenge of Pain Management in an Ever-Evolving Opioid Epidemic
Assessment and treatment of pain are challenges for healthcare providers and health systems. Treatment with opioid medications can decrease pain functionality but also may result in opioid tolerance, dependence, misuse, and overdose. It is important that opioids be prescribed judiciously to prevent and/or mitigate these potential harms.
Self Study
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Meeting the Challenge of Pain Management in an Ever-Evolving Opioid Epidemic - Baseline Assessment
How much do you already know about safe opioid prescribing? This short self-assessment activity will let you test your knowledge about this ongoing public health challenge. Please follow the prompts to complete the self-assessment.
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Self Study Module 1: The Epidemiology of Pain
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid overdose epidemic had entered a fourth, increasingly deadly phase. This self-study module reviews the key epidemiologic trends that clinicians need to know about today’s challenging and constantly evolving pain management landscape.
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Self Study Module 2: Assessment of Pain and Initiation of Treatment
Your initial assessment may be the most important factor in devising an effective pain management plan that also prioritizes patient safety. This self-study module outlines prescribing, patient education, and risk mitigation strategies for appropriate opioid prescribing.
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Self Study Module 3: Acute Pain Management
How confident are you about when to use—and when to avoid—opioids for patients with acute pain? This self-study module will help you determine whether the benefits of a short course of opioids are likely to outweigh the risks.
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Self Study Module 4: Chronic Pain Management
Chronic pain is common—yet it is uniquely challenging to manage appropriately, especially when the patient has risk factors for opioid misuse and/or comorbidities. This self-study module provides guidance on how to balance the benefits and risks/harms of opioid therapy.
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Self Study Module 5: Prescribing Guidelines and Specialist Care
Healthcare providers who prescribe opioids must remain up to date on both federal and state requirements for opioid prescribing. These requirements change periodically, and it is up to the healthcare provider to make sure that they are familiar with the requirements that pertain
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Self Study Module 6: Opioid Misuse and Opioid Use Disorder
Despite effective treatments for opioid use disorder, overdose death rates continue to climb. This self-study module shows how clinicians, including primary care providers, can improve outcomes in patients receiving opioid treatment through careful education and monitoring.
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Meeting the Challenge of Pain Management in an Ever-Evolving Opioid Epidemic - Final Assessment
This Final Assessment will complete the Self Study section.
Live Group Discussions
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Meet and Greet (optional)
Please use this session to gather the group and share an overview of the course plus answer questions.
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Areas of Challenge Specific to the Group Regarding the Assessment and Management of Pain and Opioid Use Disorder
This Live Group Discussion will focus on the Baseline self-assessment and the content of the self-study modules. Group Members are encouraged to actively participate by discussing any challenges they are encountering and responding to other members' contributions.
Group Tasks
Assessing Pain and Developing a Treatment Plan for a Patient with Chronic Pain
This Group Task will enable you to practice the clinical skills that are necessary to safely and effectively prescribe opioids as part of a pain control treatment plan.
