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Pain is a common clinical condition in the United States and the most common reason patients seek healthcare. It is described by the International Association for the Study of Pain [...]

GOAL For pharmacists to learn the basic concepts of managing drug therapy for patients suffering from venous thrombosis and who require anticoagulation therapy CREDIT This lesson provides two hours of [...]

The opioid crisis evidenced by increasing opioid overdoses presents many challenges in patient care. The 2016 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Opioid Prescribing Guidelines were an attempt to make prescribing of opioids safer, but they were often misapplied resulting in poor patient care. In response to the misapplication, the CDC is updating these guidelines. The new version was released in late 2022. The 2016 CDC guidelines mention tapering opioids but it is dangerous to rapidly taper opioids or abruptly discontinue opioids. Thus, the Department of Health and Human Services has developed a guideline for practitioners for the safe tapering of opioids. Another tool in the opioid epidemic is the use of adjunctive agents in chronic pain management.

The article discusses the pathophysiology of various types of pain as well as those therapeutics made available to combat pain. The International Association for the Study of Pain describes pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. It includes back pain, neck pain, abdominal pain, and cuts or puncture wounds. To treat all kinds of pain, healthcare professionals are suggested to execute the best pain-management practices.

The article presents a continuing education on community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) with the goal of guiding pharmacists and technicians in applying antibiotic therapy for patients and in applying national guidelines regarding its treatment. It discusses the factors contributing to the development of pneumonia, causes, clinical presentation and therapy. The rapidity with which antibiotic therapy is initiated is one important determinant of outcome in patients who are hospitalized for treatment of CAP. Test questions about CAP are presented.