"Another fresh new year is here,
Another year to love and laugh!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
Enjoy your 2009 from all the ESP staff!"

Welcome to the first issue of The Beacon 2009, the Emerging Solutions in Pain (ESP) e-newsletter dedicated to bringing you the latest updates on the science of pain management, including the latest clinical news, CE programs, expert commentaries, reviewed articles, and much, much more.

In 2009, we will be revising the format of The Beacon to be a bi-weekly and more succinct newsletter to better fit your needs. You will now receive this e-newsletter every second Tuesday. Each issue will include exciting new information, and articles designed to assist your clinical practice, and provoke thought and discussion. Try some innovative new technologies to suit your personal needs.

The ESP Faces of Pain are now available for purchase.

Click here to buy your ESP Faces of Pain at an Introductory Price of $29.99 for a set of 6!

ESP's Expert Commentary series is a monthly column featuring a rotating group of clinical expert thought leaders sharing their knowledge, and sometimes controversial opinions on various topics in pain management and addiction medicine.

Jennifer Bolen, JD, discusses the legal requirements of informed consent and treatment agreements.

Our In the Know column provides bi-monthly abstracts and reviews of the latest journal articles related to the management of chronic pain and addiction.

Gianutsos PL, et al. Clinical Inquiries. Is there a well-tested tool to detect drug-seeking behaviors in chronic pain patients? J Fam Pract. 2008;57:609-610.

Clark MR, et al. Assessment and Management of Chronic Pain in Individuals Seeking Treatment for Opioid Dependence Disorder. Can J Psychiatry. 2008;53(8):496-508.

The Knowledge Library is ESP's video library that collects the most commonly asked pain management and/or addiction medicine questions, and presents them in easy-to-view, brief video vignettes. You can view 30-second to 2-minute videos in pharmacotherapy; assessment; UDT; abuse, misuse & addiction; practice considerations; and legal issues.

Dr. Daniel Brookoff, Colorado Question: Are some opioids more abusable than others?

Ms. Patricia Good, former DEA Questions:

Does the DEA monitor opioid prescribing and target doctors who prescribe in excess of a specific quantitative threshold?

Do state or federal laws/regulations require me to have an opioid agreement for patients who are prescribed opioids for pain?

If a patient who is actively enrolled in methadone maintenance for opioid addiction is in need of pain treatment, are opioids automatically precluded for his/her pain therapy?

Clinicians with challenging questions in the fields of pain management or addiction medicine now have the opportunity to have those questions answered by clinical experts through the ESP Ask the Experts column! ESP members submit questions for review by the ESP faculty, and each month, answers to selected questions will be posted as audio or text files.

Jennifer Bolen, JD, answers the following question: What should a physician do if he or she finds out that a prescription has been stolen and a pharmacy faxes in a copy that shows that the writing is not the physician’s? How can the physician protect him or herself?

ESP awards scholarships to residents, fellows, and students in the fields of pain management and addiction medicine. Winners receive registration fees, airfare, hotel, and a small stipend to cover a national conference, association meeting, or congress.

Click here to view details of our latest scholarship winner to American Academy of Pain Medicine's (AAPM) 25th Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii • January 27-31, 2009.

For more than 15 years, MediCom Worldwide, Inc. has developed and conducted hundreds of educational programs related to chronic pain management and addiction medicine. To ensure that our future activities meet your educational needs, we would appreciate your assistance in completing a brief survey question.

Click here to answer ONE poll question to help us develop activities to meet your needs.

Our current poll is:
In chronic pain, the assessment should include measurement of the pain intensity, emotional distress and functional status (state level of agreement or disagreement).

For further information on all our latest postings, further award-winning and multimedia educational
resources and practice tools, please visit www.EmergingSolutionsinPain.com now!

Learn • Grow • Improve

This educational resource is brought to you by

ESP is developed by

Note: We want to stay in touch but only in ways that you find helpful. You are receiving this email at [email address suppressed],
as a member of Emerging Solutions in Pain. Please Click Here if you wish to be completely removed from our email list.

To make sure you continue to receive our newsletters, emails and alerts, please add info@emergingsolutionsinpain.info
to your address book or approved sender list.

MediCom Worldwide, Inc. · 101 Washington Street · Morrisville, PA 19067 · 215-337-9991