Module 3: Safe and Effective Use of Opioid Analgesics in Cancer Care

This module addresses best practices for the safe initiation, titration, monitoring, and discontinuation of opioid analgesics in the management of acute and chronic cancer-related pain. Learners will review risk mitigation strategies, including monitoring for adverse effects, evaluating functional improvement, and recognizing signs of misuse. The module also covers patient and caregiver counseling on safe use, storage, and disposal and the role of naloxone in overdose prevention.

Provided by National Comprehensive Cancer Network in collaboration with The France Foundation.

Target Audience

The primary audience who will benefit from this education includes physicians, physician associates, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, and other health care professionals involved in the care of adult patients with cancer pain.

Learning Objectives

Following this module, participants should be able to:

  • Execute the safe initiation, titration, monitoring, and discontinuation of opioid therapies
  • Counsel patients and caregivers on safe opioid storage and disposal, and the emergency use of naloxone
Additional information
Supporters: 

This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from the Opioid Analgesic REMS Program Companies.

Please see https://opioidanalgesicrems.com/Resources/Docs/List_of_RPC_Companies.pdf for a listing of REMS Program Companies. This activity is intended to be fully compliant with the Opioid Analgesic REMS education requirements that are issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AAPA Category 1 CME credit
  • 1.00 ACPE contact hours
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.00 ANCC contact hours
  • 1.00 ASWB continuing education credit
  • 1.00 Participation
Course opens: 
10/29/2026
Course expires: 
10/30/2027
FACULTY 
David S. Craig, PharmD    
Advanced Practice Pharmacist 
Acute Pain and Supportive Care Medicine
Moffitt Cancer Center 
Tampa, FL
 
Megan R. Prescott, LCSW, ASWPH-C
Lead Palliative Care Social Worker
University of Colorado Hospital
Aurora, CO
 
Elizabeth Horn Prsic, MD       
Associate Professor, Section of Medical Oncology & Hematology 
Yale University
New Haven, CT  
 
Carey Ramirez, DNP, ANP-C, ACHPN    
Director, Advanced Practice Department
Supportive Care Medicine
City of Hope 
Duarte, CA
 
Jessica Vanderlan, PhD    
Clinical Psychologist
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry 
Siteman Cancer Center 
BJH & Washington University School of Medicine

St. Louis, MO
 
Jeanie Youngwerth, MD, FAAHPM    
Associate Professor of Medicine
Associate Program Director
Colorado Palliative Medicine Fellowship
Director, Palliative Care Service
University of Colorado - Anschutz
Aurora, CO
 
PEER REVIEWER
Nicholas Burwick, MD
Academic Associate Professor
Division of Hematology and Oncology
University of Washington
VA Puget Sound Health Care System

Seattle, WA
 
NCCN CONTINUING EDUCATION DISCLOSURE POLICY
It is the policy of NCCN that all planners, faculty, moderators, authors, reviewers, and anyone involved in the planning and delivery of NCCN continuing education activities are expected to disclose ALL financial relationships they have had in the past 24 months with ineligible companies. The ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence require that individuals who refuse to provide this information will be disqualified from involvement in the planning and implementation of accredited continuing education presented by NCCN. NCCN identifies, mitigates and discloses to learners all relevant financial relationships.
 
In addition, all content has been reviewed to ensure education promotes safe, effective patient care and does not promote the products or services of an ineligible company. Content, including any presentation of therapeutic options, is fair, balanced, evidence-based, scientifically accurate, and free of commercial bias and marketing. 
 
Definitions  
Ineligible Company: An ineligible company is any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients 
 
Relevant Financial Relationships: Financial relationships of any dollar amount occurring within the past 24 months are defined as relevant if the educational content an individual can control is related to the business lines or products of an ineligible company. There is no minimum financial threshold. We ask for disclosure of ALL financial relationships with ineligible companies, regardless of the amount and regardless of the potential relevance of each relationship to the education.
 
Faculty Disclaimers  
All faculty for this continuing education activity are competent in the subject matter and qualified by experience, training, and/or preparation for the tasks and methods of delivery.
 
Faculty presentations may include discussion of off-label use. Faculty will disclose that the use in question is not currently approved by the FDA per the product labeling or marketing.
 
FACULTY DISCLOSURES
The faculty listed below have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
 
Carey Ramirez, DNP, ANP-C, ACHPN
Jessica Vanderlan, PhD
Jeanie Youngwerth, MD, FAAHPM
 
The faculty listed below have the following relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.
 
Nicholas Burwick, MD 
Bristol Myers Squibb: Speaker’s Bureau  
Takeda: Speaker’s Bureau  
 
David S. Craig, PharmD
Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI): Research
 
Megan R. Prescott, LCSW, ASWPH-C
Boehringer-Ingelheim (Obesity): Consultant; Speaker’s Bureau
Eli Lilly (Obesity): Speaker’s Bureau
Novo Nordisk (Obesity): Speaker’s Bureau
 
Elizabeth Horn Prsic, MD
Luminate Medical: Consultant
 
NCCN AND THE FRANCE FOUNDATION DISCLOSURES
None of the planners for this educational activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
 
DISCLOSURE OF UNLABELED USE
Faculty for this educational activity are required to disclose when a therapy or procedure being discussed is off-label, unlabeled, experimental, or investigational, and to note any limitations of the data presented (e.g., preliminary findings, ongoing research, or expert opinion). 
 
Some faculty may discuss uses of pharmaceutical agents or devices that are not included in U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved labeling. These discussions are provided solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation for any particular use. Learners are encouraged to review full prescribing information for products discussed.
 
DISCLAIMER
This activity is intended for healthcare professionals for educational purposes only. The content reflects information available at the time of development and may not represent the most current evidence, regulatory status, or prescribing information. Participants should consult current package inserts, clinical guidelines, and institutional policies before prescribing medications or making clinical decisions.
 
This activity has been planned and implemented in compliance with applicable accreditation standards to ensure that content is fair, balanced, evidence-based, and free of commercial bias.
 
AI-ASSISTED CONTENT
This educational activity includes content generated with the support of artificial intelligence (AI)/chatbot tools and reviewed by subject-matter experts. It is intended solely for educational purposes and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. 
 
AI supported content may contain errors or omissions, and it should not be relied upon as a substitute for the independent clinical judgment of qualified healthcare professionals or for patient specific decision making.
Learners are responsible for critically evaluating all information and applying it in accordance with professional standards, current evidence, regulatory requirements, and the laws of their practicing jurisdiction.
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In support of improving patient care, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
PHYSICIANS
NCCN designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 
NURSES
NCCN designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 contact hour.
 
PHSYCIAN ASSOCIATES
NCCN has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credit. Approval is valid until October 30, 2027. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.
 
PHARMACISTS
NCCN designates this knowledge-based continuing education activity for 1.0 contact hour (0.10 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit.
UAN Module 3: JA4008196-0000-26-107-H08-P
 
Upon successfully completing the evaluation, transcript information will be sent to the NABP CPE Monitor Service within 60 days.
 
SOCIAL WORKERS
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, NCCN is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. NCCN maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.0 continuing education credits.

All other healthcare professionals completing this course will be issued a statement of participation.
 
Completion of all 4 modules is required for REMS compliance.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AAPA Category 1 CME credit
  • 1.00 ACPE contact hours
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.00 ANCC contact hours
  • 1.00 ASWB continuing education credit
  • 1.00 Participation
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