Opioid analgesic therapy is a common treatment for severe pain in the palliative care population. As the population ages, more patients with a history of opioid misuse are experiencing chronic, severe, difficult to treat pain, often related to cancer. This session will review various pain therapies for severe pain in the palliative care population and outline strategies for pain management in patients with comorbid use disorders.
SPEAKERS
Maria Foy, PharmD, BCPS, CPE, is a clinical pharmacy specialist in Palliative Care at Jefferson Abington Hospital Jefferson Health. Maria graduated from Temple University with a BS in Pharmacy and received a non-traditional PharmD from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. In 2013, Maria earned her board certification in pharmacotherapy (BCPS). Maria has lectured on pain management, symptom management, chronic pain and substance use disorder topics nationally and locally.
Dr. Norman Pillsbury, PharmD, BCPS, received his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Florida in 2000. He has been a clinical hospital pharmacist, a hospice pharmacist, a consultant pharmacist, a director of pharmacy, and a system director of pharmacy. In addition, he was a professor of Pharmacology at South College in Asheville, North Carolina for two years, and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. His practice interests include Critical Care, Palliative Care, Pain Management, and Pharmacy Administration. He is a member of ASHP, APhA, and the Florida Pharmacy Association. He has been with HCA since March of 2015 and is currently a Clinical Pharmacist at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital.
David E. Zimmerman, PharmD, BCCCP, is an associate professor of pharmacy at Duquesne University and EM clinical pharmacist at the UPMC-Mercy. He is a past chair of the Advisory Group on Emergency Medicine and currently serves as a content matter expert for the ASHP BCEMP Review course. He is co-editor/author of the ASHP Publication, Demystifying Drug Dosing in Obese Patients and has a research focus on pain management in the ED.