• FDA Seeking Public Comments on Opioid REMS
• CME Accredited Version of Responsible Opioid Prescribing Now Available
• Session & Speaker Information for ASPI 20th Annual Meeting
• State Pain Initiatives in Action: Georgia Pain Initiative
• ASPI is Hiring a Conference and Outreach Coordinator

Pain Resource Nurse Program Curriculum & Planning Guide
This 700+ page guide, which comes with a CD and flashdrive containing the modules and tools in Word and PowerPoint formats, contains materials to support the planning and implementation of a Pain Resource Nurse (PRN) program: nine educational modules, materials for breakout sessions, planning and coordination tools, and an overview of how to initiate and sustain a PRN program.

Detecting Discomfort in Dementia: Focus on Behaviors
This educational video toolkit is designed to teach nursing assistants to identify the behaviors that cognitively impaired residents may show when they are in pain or discomfort, and to understand the ways they can help cognitively impaired residents get relief of their pain or discomfort.

8 Facts About Cancer Pain
Download a copy of the ASPI's 8 Fact Everyone Should Know About Cancer Pain here, or order print copies from The Resource Center of the ASPI

Cancer Pain Can Be Relieved
In this booklet, you will find information about cancer pain - and how to manage it. Pain medicines are often needed, but other treatments may be helpful as well. You don’t have to “go it alone.” For best results, you need to work as part of a team with family and friends, and your doctor, nurse, pharmacist and social worker. Glossy printed copies and a free downloadable version are available at The Resource Center of the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives. An online version is also available.

Responsible Opioid Prescribing - CME Accredited Version and Online Activity Now Available!
A Continuing Medical Education (CME) accredited version of Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician’s Guide is now available for purchase. The activity, which is jointly sponsored by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives (ASPI), and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  For more information about the CME activity, including the accreditation information and how to register for the online CME post-test, please click here.

Now Available: Pain Resource Nurse (PRN) Program Curriculum & Planning Guide
The PRN Curriculum and Planning Guide--a tool-kit designed to assist clinicians/educators in hospital settings in coordinating and implementing a Pain Resource Nurse (PRN) Program--is now available for purchase via the ASPI Resource Center.  The Guide includes content on the prevalence and impact of pain, basic pain physiology, assessment of pain, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, methods of drug delivery, acute and chronic pain, cancer pain, management of pain in patients with substance abuse, and the PRN role.  The Guide also provides an overview of the PRN Program concept; practical tips on how to coordinate, budget, and evaluate a PRN training course; and information on how to support and engage the PRNs who are trained.  All of the key planning and educational materials are available as electronic files on the included CD ROM and flash drive.

September 2008 was Pain Awareness Month
The State Pain Initiatives coordinated and participated in a wide variety of activities and events to raise awareness about pain and pain management.  Click here to learn about what happened in each state.

Implementing the DEA Multiple Prescriptions Rule:
Cautions & Steps
The recent DEA rule, Issuance of Multiple Prescriptions for Schedule II Controlled Substances, has been heralded as good news throughout the pain community.  This ruling allows licensed prescribers to write multiple prescriptions for Schedule II drugs with staggered fill dates, thus providing patients with the equivalent of a 90-day supply of medication when appropriate.  However, because states can enact controlled substances laws that are more stringent than federal laws, experts have raised concerns that the rule may not be consistent with the laws and regulations in certain states.  For example, in some states prescriptions are only valid for a very limited period of time, such as one week, which would therefore prohibit implementation of the federal rule. 

As the laws and regulations pertaining to the prescribing of controlled substances vary considerably from state to state, the ASPI urges State Pain Initiatives to carefully review their state laws and regulations and to consult with their state medical, nursing, and pharmacy boards and controlled substances authority to determine if practitioners in their state can implement the new federal regulation.  In addition, in states where the federal rule is in accordance with state law, the ASPI urges Initiatives to work with their state licensing boards to ensure that information about the regulation is clearly communicated to all practitioners who are licensed to prescribe or dispense Schedule II controlled substances in their state.