The International Conference on Pain & Chemical Dependency convened
June 6 - 8, 2002 in New York City. This was the fifth in a series of conferences designed to show the interface between pain management and chemical dependency and how this relationship often plays a role in the undertreatment of pain, both acute and chronic.

Undertreatment of pain is a universal phenomenon, and the conference emphasized international issues with presentations by world-renowned practitioners in pain management and addiction medicine. This archived webcast captures the following four lectures in streaming audio with simultaneous slideshow presentations:

• Opioid Treatment in Chemically Dependent Patients
  Steven D. Passik, Ph.D.
• Pain, Chemical Dependency, and Addiction: New Definitions
  Seddon R. Savage, MD
• Opioids for Nonmalignant Pain: Predicting Problem Patients
  Peggy Compton, MD
• Special Lecture: Opioid Prescribing to Patients with and Without Chemical Dependency
  Russell K. Portenoy, MD

The goal of The International Conference on Pain & Chemical Dependency was to create a better understanding between the fields of pain management and chemical dependency. Symposia and scientific papers focused on:

• Reviewing the barriers that currently impinge on the use of opioid drugs for pain treatment
• Providing a forum for experts in the field of pain management to educate practitioners in the appropriate use of opioid drugs for relief of acute and chronic pain
• Improving the treatment of pain by fostering a broader understanding of the pharmacology of opioids and their use in the treatment of chronic and nonmalignant pain
• Legal, regulatory and organizational issues relative to the undertreatment of pain.

You will need to have either Windows Media Player or RealPlayer/RealOne Player installed on your computer to access these lectures. Slides accompanying these audio lectures are printable, clicking on the "Presentation Links" option, using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please install these free plug-ins before entering this module.