Pain Management in Primary Care

Being a pharmacist in pain management is unlike any other long term conditions for several reasons. Firstly, pain is very emotive – the demand for intervention and pain relief is high and the need for a health care professional to try and meet that demand can be an equal driver.

Secondly, science has a limited place to play, since many aspects of pain are psychologically founded. Not that I’m saying pain is not real or is made up. It is horribly debilitating for many suffers. It’s just that peoples experience of pain are very different and very personal. For many it can be tied up with deeper emotional issues such as self worth and adverse child hood experiences that cannot easily be addressed without counselling.

Thirdly, it’s a game of persuasion. Of course, lifestyle issues are also important in diabetes, hypertension and many other conditions but in these instances drugs also play a part. In persistent pain drugs not only play a minimal part in management they can cause considerable harms and can lead to even greater suffering. As professionals we all know this, – but we have to persuade the chronic suffer. -Firstly they must to some extent live with their pain but more importantly that they need to look at non pharmacological approaches to managing their pain and their life going forward. We have to take them with us and get them to be open to new approaches because without this, we cannot provide patient focused care and positive outcomes will not be achieved.

I always steer clear of referring to a medication review for these patients as its much wider than that – it’s a pain management review. I also tend to refer to a pain journey to imply an on going process that is not going to be a quick fix but a slow journey in the right direction. I describe that am here to support them on this journey.

MORPh Primary Care Training Network are providing a number of pain study days to assist pharmacist working with these persistent pain patients and to support them in the task reducing their reliance on harmful medications and seeing their condition and their lives more holistically. Why not join us on our next study date.

Blog produced by Helen Liddell, MORPh Associate Director, MORPh Expert Speaker and Senior Pharmacist in Pain Management.

To book onto the upcoming Pain Management in Primary Care Webinar with Expert Speaker, Helen Liddell on the 16th June please visit to book your space: https://morphold.kaamdaar.com/pain-management-in-primary-care-2/ This webinar is for primary care pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, GPs and Nurses in regions: Scotland, North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humberside and Northern Ireland.

To join MORPh Training visit the MORPh website and register today! www.morphconsultancy.co.uk

For an extensive list of our upcoming Pain Management in Primary Care webinars and to join our mailing list please visit: https://morphold.kaamdaar.com/training/

We also provide peer to peer support via Telegram Group – please contact alex@morphconsultancy.co.uk or alternatively to join please visit the MORPh website.