Opioid Analgesics: Treating Pain in People with Cancer (FutureLearn)

Despite being commonly prescribed, opioids account for more reported drug errors than any other high-risk medication (Alanazi et al, 2016). They represent a significant patient safety and public health issue. This course will help you increase your knowledge of the basic pharmacology of opioids so you are better able to prescribe them safely and effectively in the treatment of cancer-related pain.

You will learn the principles for safe prescribing, get to grips with the management of opioid-related adverse events and understand the rationale for prescribing opioid analgesics for cancer pain.

What topics will you cover?

Week 1: Basic pharmacology and rationale for opioid analgesics.

Week 2: Principles of safe opioid prescribing in practice for patients with cancer.

Week 3: Safe management of opioid-related adverse events.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

- Describe the pharmacology of and mechanisms of action of opioid analgesics.

- Explain pharmacological and physiological terminology related to opioid analgesia

- Explain the rationale for selecting opioid analgesics for the treatment of cancer-related pain

- Demonstrate the process of selecting an appropriate dosing schedule for commonly prescribed opioid analgesics.

- Describe when and how to convert opioids without compromising safety and efficacy.

- Describe how to manage common and life-threatening opioid related adverse events.

- Describe reasons why pain may not respond or responds poorly to opioids.