Diversion of pain medication from emergency departments is an issue of concern to physicians and politicians alike, but James Ducharme, MD, believes a balance between diversion wariness and efficient pain management is necessary for emergency physicians.

“We have to understand that we’re trying to do right by the patient and that we want to ensure that we answer their needs in terms of pain management,” said Dr. Ducharme, a clinical professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, who has researched and taught about pain for the last 20 years.

In his presentation, “’You Gotta Help Me, Doc!’—Novel Approaches to Pain Management in the ED,” Dr. Ducharme will discuss the use of opioids, the alternative medications that can be prescribed, and the negative consequences of patients and physicians ignoring acute pain.

Dr. Ducharme wants physicians to understand that patient communication is key to managing pain.“It’s not up to me to judge what’s enough pain relief; that’s the patient,” he said.

“You Gotta Help Me, Doc!”
Novel Approaches to Pain
Management in the ED
Tuesday, Oct. 28
4:30–5:30 p.m.
McCormick place west, w176ABC

Conversely, he acknowledges that patients do not realize the consequences of tolerating pain instead of treating it within the first day of symptoms. For example, migraine pain is more likely to return the next day if left even partially untreated. “Although we want to do what the patient wants us to do,” Dr. Ducharme said, “sometimes we have to realize there are other end targets that we have to try to avoid by taking control of pain.”

Dr. Ducharme believes the misunderstanding of chronic pain is caused by an absence of training on the topic for emergency physicians. Instead of shying away from the subject, pain needs to be approached just like diabetes or heart disease. “Chronic pain is no different from any other chronic disease, and yet we’ve ignored it,” he said. “Managing pain is purely an attitude reorientation.”

Francesca Baratta is a freelance writer based in New Jersey.