Society of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists | Strategic Alliance Partners

Matthew D. Clark, PharmD, highlights a pharmacist-led program that improved opioid safety in cancer care despite regulatory exemptions.

At the 2025 SPPCP Virtual Conference, Carolyn Hall, PharmD, BCPS, and Maria Felton Lowry, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP, presented a comprehensive and practical framework for pharmacy professionals to build effective, adaptable mentorship relationships.

In a session at the 2025 Virtual Conference on Pain and Palliative Care, Isabella Zerfas, PharmD, and Abbey Galligan, PharmD, BCPS, explore effective pain management strategies for opioid use disorder (OUD) and complex persistent opioid dependence.

Emma Murter, PharmD, MPH, and Madison N. Irwin, PharmD, BCPS, discuss the potential role of low-dose naltrexone in managing chronic pain in palliative care, highlighting its anti-inflammatory properties, limited adverse effects, and current evidence gaps—particularly in comparison to traditional opioids and adjuvant analgesics.

Abigail Thomas, PharmD, and Lee A. Kral, PharmD, discuss the evolving role of psilocybin-assisted therapy in palliative care, highlighting current evidence, safety concerns, and how pharmacists can guide patient selection, manage drug interactions, and support education as the therapy moves closer to clinical use.

Diana Violanti, PharmD, and Pamela S. Moore, PharmD, BCGP, discuss the nuanced use of anticholinergic agents for managing terminal secretions at end of life, highlighting practical considerations, timing, safety concerns such as delirium, and the limited yet evolving evidence supporting their role in palliative care.

The 2025 SPPCP Virtual Conference on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, will offer pharmacists and clinicians a full day of CE-accredited sessions on complex pain management, opioid use disorder, mentorship, and innovative approaches in palliative care, with opportunities for networking and professional development.

Christopher Herndon, PharmD, BCACP, FASHP, FCCP, CPE, discusses the upcoming BPS pain management certification launching in late 2025, its role in validating pharmacist expertise.

Opioid stewardship pharmacist Maureen Saphire, PharmD, BCGP, focuses on advocating for appropriate opioid access for patients with cancer and sickle cell disease, promoting safe opioid use, and supporting leadership and strategic planning as keys to successful opioid stewardship.

Jeff Boyer, PharmD, BCPS, discusses his role in opioid stewardship at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System, highlighting his work in pain management coordination, interdisciplinary collaboration, patient and provider education, and data-driven strategies to support safe opioid use and address the opioid crisis.

Opioid stewardship coordinator Stephanie Abel, PharmD, BCPS, discusses initiatives such as increasing naloxone access, refining pain management protocols, and addressing stigma around opioid use disorder, highlighting the importance of clear goals and emotional intelligence for effective stewardship programs.

Using the term "pseudodementia" contributes to the mismanagement and mistreatment of the disease.

Expert discusses the challenges faced by pharmacists in palliative and hospice care.

Expert discusses the challenges faced by pharmacists in palliative and hospice care.

Pharmacists play a crucial role in managing pain for cancer patients in palliative care.

Speakers at the 2024 Society of Pain and Palliative Care Virtual Conference discussed advanced treatment opportunities for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) and cancer-related pain.