Exploring alternative pain care options
EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE PAIN CARE OPTIONS
If your customer’s pain is acute and is not adequately controlled by oral analgesics such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, you can ask:
Whether they have stepped up the pain control ladder to try combination products that contain codeine?
Explain that codeine-containing analgesics are for short term use only. If pain is still acute after three days, the customer should come back to see the pharmacist or make a GP appointment
How long have they been taking paracetamol or ibuprofen?
Explain that medication alone is rarely used to manage long term chronic pain. Exercise and/or physical therapy, with paracetamol or ibuprofen to control any flare-ups might be a better option
For customers with joint or muscle pain, or chronic pain, you can explore alternative pain care options.
MUSCLE OR JOINT PAIN
This kind of pain originates in a specific part of the body and could be managed with topical treatments, or a physical support of the injured joint or limb.
- Topical pain relief rubs
- Cooling gels
- Heat patches
- Wearable supports/stockings
- TENS devices
CHRONIC OR NEUROPATHIC PAIN
Has the patient seen their GP about management of ongoing pain? Has the GP advised on how mobility and exercise can help to reduce local pain?
Mobility can help reduce local chronic pain. Has the customer considered exercises that might help? What kind of activities have they been able to do without excessive pain?
Has the customer tried:
- Exercise and strategies to aid adherence to regular exercise
- Massage or physiotherapy
- Pain management programmes such as cognitive behavioural therapy, yoga and relaxation techniques
CODE AMBER - IN SUMMARY
- Set a supportive and non-judgemental tone to keep conversations open
- Educate on medication risks, especially for codeine-containing products, and offer on broader pain options
- Don't assume the worst: question to get the evidence you need to decide what to do next
- Encourage customers to return to the pharmacy to let you know how they are getting on. This will help you re-evaluate customers you think may be at risk of misuse
REMINDER CARD
This useful tool can be issued to the customer after each pain management conversation as a record of the information discussed.
Click here to download the reminder card.
PAIN CODE MODULE 1, on customers who answer the WWHAM questions without raising any red flags, can be found here: ‘Code Green’ situations.
PAIN CODE MODULE 3 will follow soon, with practical guidance on difficult conversations and helping customers suspected of misusing analgesia: 'Code Red' situations.