NHS priorities

Whether it’s to prepare for the next Pharmacy Quality Scheme deadline, or to increase your confidence in helping people with a learning disability, this section provides topic-specific pages that link to current NHS priorities. This section will support you in keeping your knowledge and skills up to date in order to provide high-quality pharmacy services and be service-ready.

Clinical pharmacy

Our clinical portfolio is expanding on a frequent basis, helping you to advance your knowledge and skills and deliver medicines optimisation in practice for all sectors of pharmacy. From two new focal points a year to our small group learning for hospital pharmacists – Optimise – this section focuses on clinical pharmacy, diseases and therapeutics.

Public health

The public health agenda is embedded in pharmacy, yet topics such as emergency contraception or stop smoking support are as prevalent as ever. As well as our public health workshops, use this section to access a wide range of resources to assure and maintain your competence, all underpinned by the Declaration of Competence system.

Pain

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Welcome to the CPPE page on pain, which introduces you to resources that CPPE and other organisations provide around this topic.

It is difficult to precisely quantify the number of people who experience chronic pain. A European study from 2006 concluded that ‘on average one in five adult Europeans suffer from chronic pain, although there are variations between countries, with the UK having an average prevalence rate of 13%’

What this means is that as a healthcare professional, you are very likely to see patients living with pain as a routine part of your practice.

Use our pain learning resources and assessment to update your knowledge and develop your skills to assess, treat and manage pain effectively. You can broaden your scope of practice by learning more about pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options.

Learn how to ensure that your consultations with patients living with long term pain engage the patient in evidence based treatment options and decisions around the management of their pain.

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The aim of this programme is to develop your skills and confidence to support people living with chronic pain. You will consider the safe and effective use of medicines, focusing on opioids, and how to use a person-centred approach to empower people to live well with pain.


6h:45m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)


Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:
  • explain the basic principles of analgesic stewardship
  • demonstrate approaches to overcome barriers and potential challenges to safe and effective use of opioids you may encounter in practice
  • apply a shared decision-making approach to discussions involving pain, with a focus on safe and effective use of opioids
  • discuss your role in supporting people with opioid reduction and deprescribing
  • support people to self-manage their pain while demonstrating a person-centred approach.
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This e-learning programme has been developed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to support anyone who prescribes, dispenses or administers opioids to patients. It identifies the hazards of commonly used opioids such as fentanyl and tramadol and advises on the actions that health professionals should take to anticipate, minimise and manage the clinical risks to patients. The module is followed by a short online assessment.

Once booked, you will need to access this learning programme from the link in your Learning record.

Please note: this e-learning programme has been developed and provided by the MHRA. After ordering this programme, you will be redirected to their website where the resource is hosted. Please be aware that CPPE does not maintain control over the accuracy and currency of this programme.

It was last updated in 2015 and is currently under review. Please use with caution and consider content alongside more up to date resources and the Summary of Product Characteristics for each medicine. For more information, please visit E-learning modules: medicines - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

 


2h:30m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)


Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of the learning programme you should be able to:

  • outline the common adverse effects and principal risks associated with opioid medicines
  • describe risk reduction measures to minimise the adverse effects of opioid use
  • locate MHRA safety alerts and information on opioid use
  • advise patients and prescribers on the safer use of opioid medicines.
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Controlled drugs in chronic pain: supporting patients with safe and effective use

This resource is not currently available to you, click for more information.

The aim of this e-learning programme is to support you to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to support patients to use prescribed controlled drugs safely and effectively, with a focus on controlled drugs used in chronic pain. It will allow you to explore the risks, challenges and consequences associated with a growing use of prescribed controlled drugs, and how to apply a shared decision-making approach to discussions involving controlled drugs.


2h:30m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)


Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:
  • describe the risks, challenges and consequences associated with a growing use of prescribed controlled drugs
  • identify people who may benefit from support with their use of controlled drugs
  • support patients with chronic pain to consider alternative options to controlled drugs use
  • develop your professional network to support you to deliver personalised care for people taking controlled drugs
  • apply a shared decision-making approach to discussions involving controlled drugs
  • apply your learning to make changes to your practice to improve the safe and effective use of controlled drugs.
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This programme aims to provide healthcare professionals with an understanding of modern approaches for effective, patient-centred pain management and promote awareness of the lived experience of people who have to live with pain daily.

It is part of a suite of four courses that delve into the topic of pain. Although you can complete the Pain suite in any order, we suggest taking the courses in the following order:

Please note: this e-learning programme has been developed and provided by the Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development (NICPLD). Users should recognise that this programme will refer to Northern Ireland's policies and organisations. After ordering this programme, you will be redirected to their website where the resource is hosted. Please be aware that CPPE does not maintain control over the accuracy and currency of this programme.


2h:00m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)


Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:

  • define the phenomenon of pain
  • understand the prevalence, epidemiology and impact of pain
  • explain the 'Biopsychosocial model of pain' and its importance in delivering patient-centred care
  • understand the impact of pain from a patient's perspective and how it affects their quality of life
  • describe the mechanisms and pathophysiology of pain
  • understand the different pain classification systems and their significance.
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This programme aims to help healthcare professionals understand modern patient-centred approaches to pain management frameworks, pain assessment tools and strategies for enhancing self-management skills.

It is part of a suite of four courses that delve into the topic of pain. Although you can complete the Pain suite in any order, we suggest taking the courses in the following order:

Please note: this e-learning programme has been developed and provided by the Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development (NICPLD). Users should recognise that this programme will refer to Northern Ireland's policies and organisations. After ordering this programme, you will be redirected to their website where the resource is hosted. Please be aware that CPPE does not maintain control over the accuracy and currency of this programme.


2h:00m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)


Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:

  • outline the NICE stepped approach for treating mild to moderate acute pain
  • understand the latest NICE guidance for treating chronic pain, encompassing primary and secondary chronic pain
  • explain NICE-recommended non-pharmacological approaches for chronic pain management
  • summarise the treatment and management of non-malignant neuropathic pain
  • discuss various approaches and tools for pain assessment
  • describe approaches to foster effective self-management of pain by patients, shared decision making and communicating risks associated with dependence-forming medicines.
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The aim of this programme is to provide healthcare professionals with a better understanding of the pharmacological properties of the main analgesic drug groups and other pain treatments used in clinical practice.

It is part of a suite of four courses that delve into the topic of pain. Although you can complete the Pain suite in any order, we suggest taking the courses in the following order:

Please note: this e-learning programme has been developed and provided by the Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development (NICPLD). Users should recognise that this programme will refer to Northern Ireland's policies and organisations. After ordering this programme, you will be redirected to their website where the resource is hosted. Please be aware that CPPE does not maintain control over the accuracy and currency of this programme.


3h:00m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)


Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:

  • describe the pharmacological properties of the main types of analgesics used in the management of different types of pain
  • discuss the use of adjuvant analgesics in pain management
  • understand how to manage the risks and potential harms associated with opioids
  • recognise the signs of opioid tolerance, dependence, toxicity, withdrawal and other harms
  • explain the main safety considerations for different types of analgesics.
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The aim of this programme is to provide healthcare professionals with a better understanding of pain management and treatment in specific patient groups such as older people, pregnant women and cancer patients.

It is part of a suite of four courses that delve into the topic of pain. Although you can complete the Pain suite in any order, we suggest taking the courses in the following order:

Please note: this e-learning programme has been developed and provided by the Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development (NICPLD). Users should recognise that this programme will refer to Northern Ireland's policies and organisations. After ordering this programme, you will be redirected to their website where the resource is hosted. Please be aware that CPPE does not maintain control over the accuracy and currency of this programme.


2h:00m (for events this includes pre and post event learning)


Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:

  • list the physiological factors that need to be considered with infants and older people when recommending analgesia
  • discuss the management of non-labour pain during pregnancy and treatment of labour pain
  • describe the analgesic options during breastfeeding
  • understand approaches to postoperative pain
  • define palliative care
  • describe the World Health Organisation's Cancer Pain Ladder and strategies for managing cancer pain
  • understand the priorities when providing end of life care.
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This e-assessment is linked with the CPPE Deprescribing opioids in people with chronic pain focal point programme and assesses you on the learning outcomes in that programme.


Why should I do this assessment?

This e-assessment completes the learning you began with the CPPE Deprescribing opioids in people with chronic pain focal point programme. Access and successful completion will contribute to your own personal development plan, be recorded in your My CPPE record, and will enable you to complete a CPD entry on the learning. It may also provide evidence for achieving competencies in the RPS Foundation or Advanced Pharmacy Frameworks. If you are working towards completing a Declaration of Competence for a pharmacy service, successful completion of this assessment will provide evidence of your learning.
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This e-assessment is linked with the CPPE Controlled drugs in chronic pain: supporting patients with safe and effective use e-learning programme and assesses you on the learning outcomes in that programme.


Why should I do this assessment?

This e-assessment completes the learning you began with the CPPE Controlled drugs in chronic pain: supporting patients with safe and effective use e-learning. Access and successful completion will contribute to your own personal development plan, be recorded in your My CPPE record and will enable you to complete a CPD entry on the learning. It may also provide evidence for achieving competencies in the RPS Foundation or Advanced Pharmacy Frameworks.
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external resource

This guideline covers assessing and managing low back pain and sciatica in people aged 16 and over. It outlines physical, psychological, pharmacological and surgical treatments to help people manage their low back pain and sciatica in their daily life. The guideline aims to improve people’s quality of life by promoting the most effective forms of care for low back pain and sciatica.

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external resource

This guideline covers managing neuropathic pain (nerve pain) with pharmacological treatments (drugs) in adults in non-specialist settings. It aims to improve quality of life for people with conditions such as neuralgia, shingles and diabetic neuropathy by reducing pain and promoting increased participation in all aspects of daily living. The guideline sets out how drug treatments for neuropathic pain differ from traditional pain management.

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