American Society Of Pain Educators (ASPE) Established To Train And Credential The Nation’s Pain Educators

SAN ANTONIO, Sep 10 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the ever-increasing levels of regulatory scrutiny and misuse and abuse of pain therapies, the American Society of Pain Educators (ASPE) has been established to develop and train credentialed pain educator (CPEs). The announcement was made during the Executive Director's keynote address at the annual clinical meeting of the American Academy of Pain Management.

According to the Society's Executive Director, B. Eliot Cole, MD, MPA, "the ASPE has been formed to foster more training opportunities for pain practitioners who are willing to serve as thought leaders and educators to both patients and clinical peers alike. CPEs will function as in-house standing people resources, and will provide pain education to clinical peers and patients and their families. They will translate care plans; extend the amount of service being provided to patients; orient patients to new medications; and monitor for safety, efficacy, compliance, and toxicity."

The credentialing program will begin in Spring of 2005 with the launch of the ASPE Regional Pain Forums convened in US metropolitan areas. The regional pain forums will be sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing, and the University of Arizona College Of Pharmacy. These regional meetings will train practitioners to be educators , who in the words of Dr. Cole, will disseminate the message that "pain is treatable for some, manageable for others, and is part of the overall responsibility of being a healthcare provider for all. "

The overall goal of the Society is to provide exemplary pain management education with the intention of creating the need for a credentialed pain educator in every pain practice, long-term care facility, and hospital.

CONTACT: Press, Debra Weiner, +1-877-733-9797, ordebra.weiner@staff.paineducators.org, or Corporate Sponsorship Contact, StevePorada, steve.porada@staff.paineducators.org, both of American Society of PainEducators