PROGRAM CHAIR

Sudheer Potru, DO, FASA, FASAM
Director, Complex Pain and High-Risk Opioid Clinic
Atlanta VA Healthcare System
Decatur, Georgia

PROGRAM FACULTY

Michael A. Ashburn, MD, MPH, MBA
Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Penn Pain Medicine Center
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Charles P. Vega, MD, FAAFP
Health Sciences Clinical Professor
UC Irvine Department of Family Medicine
Director, UCI Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community
Assistant Dean for Culture and Community Education
UC Irvine School of Medicine
Irvine, California

James Zhou, MD
Attending Physician, Addiction Consult Team
Department of Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital
Instructor, Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This enduring educational symposia, led by experts in pain medicine, addiction medicine, and primary care, delivers an evidence-based curriculum on comprehensive chronic pain management. Through didactic presentations, interactive case discussions, and engaging whiteboard animations, participants will gain practical insights into pain assessment, multimodal treatment strategies, safe opioid prescribing, and multidisciplinary care to optimize patient outcomes.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This REMS-compliant continuing education program is designed to meet the educational needs of a broad range of health care professionals, nationally, including medication prescribers and care team members; physicians (including primary care, internal medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, pain medicine, addiction medicine), advanced practice nurses (eg, APRN, CNS, NP, DNP, CRNA, CNMW, other), physician assistants, dentists, podiatrists, nurses, pharmacists, optometrists, and psychologists.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon the completion of this program, attendees should be able to:

• Articulate the foundational elements of pain management, distinguishing between definitions, classifications, and mechanisms of pain
• Conduct comprehensive pain assessments that evaluate pain severity and identify patient-specific risk factors for nonmedical opioid use and opioid use disorder
• Apply effective strategies for managing acute and chronic pain that prioritize the use of nonpharmacologic and non-opioid pharmacologic modalities
• Develop guideline-driven strategies for initiating, titrating, and discontinuing opioid analgesics, while emphasizing individualized treatment plans, secure storage protocols, and counseling approaches for patients and caregivers concerning naloxone use during opioid overdose
• Recognize clinical indicators for specialist referral and facilitate timely consultations with pain management and addiction medicine
• Outline the core principles of addiction medicine and apply evidence-based strategies for recognizing and managing opioid use disorder

JOINT ACCREDITATION STATEMENT

In support of improving patient care, Med Learning Group 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.

PHYSICIAN CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENT

Med Learning Group designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the enduring activity.

AAPA Credit Designation Statement – Enduring Materials

Med Learning Group has been authorized by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.5 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until January 15, 2026. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

PHARMACISTS AND PHARMACY TECHNICIANS (ACPE) CREDIT DESIGNATION

Med Learning Group designates this activity for a maximum of up to 1.5 knowledge-based CPE contact hours. JA0007368-0000-26-004-H08-P

NOTE to Pharmacists: The only official Statement of Credit is the one you pull from CPE Monitor. You must request your certificate within 45 days of your participation in the activity to meet the deadline for submission to CPE Monitor. Credits are generally reported during the first week of each month for those who claimed during the month prior.

ACCME INNOVATION PARTNER

Med Learning Group (MLG) is proud to be recognized as an ACCME Innovation Partner, leading the way in simplifying CME for physicians. As an Innovation Partner, MLG will be working with the ACCME by submitting credits directly to CME Passport.

PHYSICIAN DISCLAIMER: Upon your acceptance in the evaluation and completion of this CME activity, Med Learning Group will share your completion information and certain personal details (e.g., name, National Provider Identifier, birthdate MM/DD) with the ACCME for inclusion in your CME Passport transcript and, as applicable, reporting to certifying, licensing, or other regulatory authorities you specify.

DISCLOSURE POLICY STATEMENT

In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, educational programs sponsored by Med Learning Group must demonstrate balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor. All faculty, authors, editors, staff, and planning committee members participating in an MLG-sponsored activity are required to disclose any relevant financial interest or other relationship with the manufacturer(s) of any commercial product(s) and/or provider(s) of commercial services that are discussed in an educational activity.

DISCLOSURE OF RELEVANT FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Content Review

The content of this activity was independently peer-reviewed by a physician and nurse reviewer.

Individuals in Control of the Content of the Activity

The individuals in control of the content of this activity have reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they have with ineligible companies related to the content of this CE activity:

• Matthew Frese, MBA, CEO of Med Learning Group, has nothing to disclose.
• Lauren Welch, MA, Sr VP of Operations for Med Learning Group, has nothing to disclose.
• Lauren Scott, MS, Medical Director for Med Learning Group, has nothing to disclose.
• Tom Bregartner, MBA, VP of Outcomes and Accreditation for Med Learning Group, has nothing to disclose.
• Aimee Meissner, Accreditation and Outcomes Coordinator for Med Learning Group, has nothing to disclose.
• Brianna Hefele, PA-C, has nothing to disclose.
• Melinda Chang, NP, has nothing to disclose.
• A medical reviewer from CME Peer Review LLC, has nothing to disclose.
• Jessica McMullen, MPH, Program Director for Med Learning Group, has nothing to disclose.
• Savannah Barron, Program Coordinator for Med Learning Group, has nothing to disclose.

DISCLOSURE OF UNLABELED USE

Med Learning Group requires that faculty participating in any CE activity disclose to the audience when discussing any unlabeled or investigational use of any commercial product or device not yet approved for use in the United States. During this lecture, the faculty may mention the use of medications for both FDA-approved and non-approved indications.

METHOD OF PARTICIPATION

There are no fees for participating and receiving CE credit for this activity. In order to obtain your certificate for the mentioned accreditation, participants need to successfully complete the associated pre/post activities and evaluation. Your certificate will be provided as a downloadable file.

DISCLAIMER

Med Learning Group makes every effort to develop CE activities that are science based. This activity is designed for educational purposes. Participants have a responsibility to use this information to enhance their professional development in an effort to improve patient outcomes. Conclusions drawn by the participants should be derived from careful consideration of all available scientific information. The participant should use his/her clinical judgment, knowledge, experience, and diagnostic decision-making expertise before applying any information, whether provided here or by others, for any professional use.

For CE questions, please contact Med Learning Group at info@medlearninggroup.com

Contact this CE provider at Med Learning Group for privacy and confidentiality policy statement information at www.medlearninggroup.com/privacy-policy/

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Event staff will be glad to assist you with any special needs (eg, physical, dietary, etc). Please contact Med Learning Group prior to participating at info@medlearninggroup.com

RELEASED DATE: January 15, 2026
EXPIRATION DATE: January 15, 2027

Copyright © 2026 Med Learning Group. All rights reserved. These materials may be used for personal use only. Any rebroadcast, distribution, or reuse of this presentation or any part of it in any form for other than personal use without the express written permission of Med Learning Group is prohibited.