Duration
3 weeksWeekly study
3 hours100% online
How it works
Opioids and Surgery
Discover how efficacy and likelihood of harm of opioids differ between patients.
Opioids play an important role in facilitating recovery and return to function after surgery. However, it is now well-established that surgery is a risk factor for persistent postoperative opioid use.
On this three-week course, you’ll explore the key concepts of opioid stewardship. You’ll learn how to minimise the risks associated with opioid use around the time of surgery whilst allowing safe administration to patients who are most likely to benefit from them.
Understand the use of opioids in the perioperative setting
You’ll start by examining the causes of the world-wide opioid crisis. This will help you gain an understanding of the challenges of balancing the benefits of opioids against the risks of prescribed opioid-related harm. You’ll also discuss inadequate perioperative pain management leading to poor patient outcomes.
Learn about opioid pharmacology
You’ll learn about the mechanisms of opioid tolerance and dependence, opioid use disorder and non-opioid responsive pain, as well as persistent postoperative opioid use.
You’ll also explore the different properties of opioid drugs that are responsible for both their desired analgesic actions and the adverse drug-related patient outcomes we try to avoid.
Improve the use of opioids in your setting
Through the concept of opioid stewardship, you’ll learn how to promote appropriate safe opioid prescribing and minimise adverse drug events and persistent postoperative opioid use.
You’ll discuss practical strategies including opioid-free and opioid-sparing anaesthesia and analgesia.
Learn with pain management experts at University College London (UCL)
Throughout the course, you’ll learn from experts at the University College London Hospital Pain Management Centre and Complex Pain Team at University College London (UCL).
Syllabus
Week 1
Opioids in the Perioperative Setting
Course Introduction
An introduction to the educators and an overview of what you’ll learn on the course
Opioids and surgery
Why we need perioperative opioid stewardship
The opioid epidemic
We explore the origins of the world-wide opioid epidemic and the role played by the use of prescribed opioids in the perioperative setting
Opioids & perioperative pain management
The importance of managing pain around the time of surgery
End of Week 1
End of week summary & preview of next week
Week 2
Opioid Pharmacology
Introduction to Week 2
A preview of what you’ll learn in Week 2
Opioids
Introduction to opioids and opioid receptors
Pharmacokinetics
Explanation of pharmacokinetics of various opioids
Pharmacodynamics
Explanation of pharmacodynamics and how opioids work
Dependence, tolerance & addiction
Why do some people find it difficult to stop taking opioids?
End of Week 2
End of week summary & preview of next week
Week 3
Solutions & Best Practice
Welcome to Week 3
A preview of what you’ll learn in Week 3
Opioid Prehabilitation
Optimising patients prior to surgery
Opioid-sparing anaesthesia
Alternatives to using opioids in the perioperative period
Opioid Legislation
Legal frameworks affecting opioid prescribing in different countries
Opioid Stewardship
We explore the concept of opioid stewardship and discuss the challenges of implementation.
Course Conclusion
Summary of learning
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Explain the reasons for persistent postoperative opioid use and its contribution to the development of the international opioid epidemic.
- Engage in a discussion on global variation in perioperative opioid use with healthcare professionals from around the world.
- Justify the reasons for using different opioid and non-opioid analgesics for the management of acute pain in the perioperative setting.
- Summarise the basic pharmacology of opioids and the mechanisms associated with their therapeutic and harmful effects.
- Evaluate the component parts of opioid stewardship which are aimed at reducing persistent postoperative opioid use and its subsequent harms.
- Reflect upon the challenges of managing perioperative pain in patients with opioid tolerance and/or dependence.
Who is the course for?
This course is for all members of the multidisciplinary team involved in providing pain relief for patients who are having, or have had, surgery. This includes an international audience of:
- Doctors, nurses and physician associates providing anaesthesia, surgical or perioperative care
- Nurses and specialists caring for patients recovering from surgery in the Recovery room, Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit, Critical Care Unit and on surgical wards
- Specialist pain nurses
- General practitioners
- Physiotherapists, clinical psychologists, chiropractors, osteopaths and other allied health professionals with an interest in pain medicine
- Students who are still training in these individual professions Healthcare professionals might find the Certificate of Achievement for this course useful for providing evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or commitment to their career.
Who will you learn with?
Dr Fausto Morell-Ducos is a consultant in anaesthesia and pain medicine at UCH, and an honorary lecturer at UCL. His specialist interests include complex pain management and opioid stewardship.
Dermot is an anaesthesia registrar at UCLH. He recently completed a fellowship in pain medicine at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital & the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery
A Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management at UCLH.
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
---|---|---|---|
Choose the best way to learn for you! | $104/one-off payment | $27.99 For the first two months. Automatically renews | Free |
Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 19 Feb 2024 |
Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$27.99
For the first two months. Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$104/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 19 Feb 2024
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) |
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...
You can use the hashtag #FLOpioids to talk about this course on social media.
More courses you might like
Learners who joined this course have also enjoyed these courses.
Browse more in Healthcare & Medicine and Psychology & Mental Health