AFMC is responding to the surge of overdoses and opioid-related deaths in Canada by leading the creation of a Canada-wide, competency-based curricula for current and future physicians in pain management and addiction medicine. With support from Health Canada through its Substance Use and Addiction Program, AFMC received funding to develop an Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME), Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME), and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) curriculum consisting of bilingual online modules that would address gaps in current educational offerings. The curriculum provides a timely opportunity to approach the opioid crisis and allow physicians to gain better insights and tools.

The modules were created for undergraduate medical students, resident physicians and practicing physicians. However, they are available to any interested stakeholders, other health care professionals and community members.

  • Topic 1: The public health Perspective
  • Topic 2: Core concepts in pain
  • Topic 3: Core concepts in the management of chronic pain
  • Topic 4: Pathophysiology of pain and pharmacology of opioids
  • Topic 5: Opioid prescribing
  • Topic 6: Opioid stewardship in palliative care
  • Topic 7: Safe storage and proper disposal of opioids
  • Topic 8: Recognizing opioid use disorder
  • Topic 9: Management of opioid use disorder
  • Topic 10: Cultural consideration, legalities, and enhancing competence
  • Topic 1: building relationships with individuals: navigating difficult conversations
  • Topic 2.1: opioid stewardship: prescribing and management
  • Topic 2.2: opioid stewardship: rotation and deprescribing
  • Topic 3: medical addiction treatment
  • Topic 4: management of chronic pain in differing contexts
  • Topic 5: cancer-related pain
  • Topic 6.1: advanced knowledge of pain management
  • Topic 6.2: management of chronic pain
  • Topic 1: Injectable Opioid Aganist treatment (ioat)
  • Topic 2: physician liability
  • Topic 3: chronic pain and opioid use in the elderly
  • Topic 4: women’s health
  • Topic 5: pediatrics: continuum of care from birth to later years
  • Topic 6: emergency medicine
  • Topic 7: psychiatry
  • Topic 8: hospital-based medicine

Self-Assessment Tool has been created aimed at physicians to be able to identify which modules they should or need to take.

What is the Self-Assessment Tool?

  • Online and free
  • multiple-choice assessment questions related to each module
  • Tells you whether you got the question right or wrong and WHY
  • Tracks and compiles achievement to make recommendations for which Opioid Response modules are the most relevant for you
  • Emails you the list of module recommendations
  • MAINPRO+ and Royal College credits available It will take roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete.

Access Self-Assessment Tool, please click here: https://queensu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0IMIvaHhtxXR9OK


For more information and to access the curriculum.