Pain Pod
One of the most common definitions of pain describes pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.” When we are exposed to something that causes pain, if able, we quickly or reflexively withdraw. The sensory feeling of pain is called nociception. Our Host: Mark Garofoli, PharmD Clinical Assistant Professor WVU School of Pharmacy (Department of Clinical Pharmacy) WV School of Pharmacy curriculum education in areas of expertise such as pain management, substance-use disorder, medication therapy management, managed care, geriatric care, management, leadership, and experiential learning.
Episodes

Friday Nov 11, 2022
Breaking News: 2022 CDC Opioid Guideline Update | Pain Pod
Friday Nov 11, 2022
Friday Nov 11, 2022
BREAKING NEWS: The 2022 CDC Opioid Guideline Update is published!!!
Unless you’d like to read all 100 pages of the guideline publication on your own, you may want to start by listening to this episode at least once.
Join the Mark “Pain Guy” Garofoli on the Pain Pod for a dynamic dissection of the 2022 CDC Opioid Guideline Update. Not a ton of actual updates compared to the 2016 guideline, but a half dozen that every clinician needs to be aware of, along with a handful a very specific reference checks leading to rather riveting conversations in the near future for you. “Pain Guy” will review all aspects of this incredibly important advancement in pain management so that you can correlate to your own patient care, educational efforts, or whatever setting you’re in NOW.
You may want to listen to this episode twice, and share it will everyone (seriously, all clinicians need to listen in, and patients in pain alike)!!!
Come one, come all, to the Pain Pod!!!
2022 CDC Opioid Guideline Revision Resources
2022 CDC Opioid Guideline Update: CDC Chronic Pain Opioid Guidelines: MMWR March 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.rr7103a1
CDC Opioid Guideline Update Timeline: https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/guideline-update/index.html
CDC Drug Overdose Deaths Data (Including Prescription Opioids): https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm
Initial Rx Opioid Duration compared to Probability of Continued Use: Shah A, et al. Characteristics of Initial Prescription Episodes and Likelihood of Long-Term Opioid Use — United States, 2006–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017; 66: 265–269.
Opioid and Benzo Combination tripling overdose death rate: Tae Woo Park, et al. Benzodiazepine prescribing patterns and deaths from drug overdose among US veterans receiving opioid analgesics: case-cohort study. BMJ 2015;350:h2698.
2016 CDC Chronic Pain Opioid Guideline: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/rr/rr6501e1.htm

Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
PAINWeek 2022 Conference Summary | Pain Pod
Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
Vegas Baby!!!
The vibe at PAINWeek 2022 was electric! Electricity flowing through the Cosmo Hotel and
Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard (“the strip”), similar to what’s generated by the Colorado River,
Lake Meade, and a miles and miles of electrical wires! Pain Guy was the beat on the street”
strolling through the PAINWeek presentations, exhibit hall, and Cosmo hallways chatting it up
with fellow faculty, exhibitors, and attendees alike! Dr. A.J. Gupta (an attendee), Barby Ingle
(author, speaker, and overall dynamic iPain exhibitor and attendee), Nicole Hemmenway (CEO
of our U.S. Pain Foundation), and Richard Tuorto (Pain Medicine News) join us for energized
conversations revolving around what their organizations do for healthcare professionals and
patients in pain, pain management in general, and of course, their experiences at PAINWeek
2022. Checkout this mobile mic episode of the Pain Pod as we team up with the folks of
PAINWeek to give you, Pain Pod Nation, the audio vibe of the electricity of being there in
person.
Come one, come all, to the Pain Pod (and PAINWeek 2023)!!!
Episode References
PAINWeek: https://www.painweek.org/
iPain (International Pain Foundation): https://internationalpain.org/
Barby Ingle: https://barbyingle.com/
US Pain Foundation: https://uspainfoundation.org/about-us/our-team/
Pain Medicine News: https://www.painmedicinenews.com/
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Thursday Sep 01, 2022
Academia & Addiction | Pain Pod
Thursday Sep 01, 2022
Thursday Sep 01, 2022
Earl Simmons (DMX) gonna give it to ya, a new definition of pain that is!
Back in 2009, a prominent study showed that U.S. Schools of Medicine were barely covering the topic of pain management in respective curricula (weighing in at a mere 9 hours on average), which paled in comparison to numerous other medical conditions. Obviously, the rest of healthcare professional schools, that’s us in pharmacy too, had a reconning to take action and amp up the education on pain management, and of course substance use disorder (SUD), commonly referred to as addiction.
It's been a wild ride, and in this episode of the Pain Pod, Mark “Pain Guy” Garofoli sits down for a chat with Dr. Lucas Hill, PharmD on the intersection of Academia (the Ivory Tower) and SUD.
Come one, come all, to the Pain Pod!!!
Episode References
· June 10th, 2022 Time Magazine article “Fewer Than Half of U.S. Pharmacies Carry One of the Most Effective Drugs for Opioid Abuse”: https://time.com/6186319/buprenorphine-overdoses-pharmacy-drug-treatment/
· AACP Opioid Efforts Database Submission: https://www.aacp.org/opioid
· APhA Institute on SUD: https://aphainstitute.pharmacist.com/
· Chronicle of Higher Education Article: https://www.chronicle.com/article/one-university-takes-on-the-opioid-crisis/
2011 Article on U.S. Schools of Medicine 9 hours of Pain Education: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21945594/
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Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
To MME or Not to MME, Is There a Question? | PAIN POD
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Let’s face it, when it comes to pain management, one of the most painful efforts of the last few years has involved, in one way, shape, form, or fashion: Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MMEs). As we discussed with the PharmD author of the 2022 CDC Opioid Guideline Update , there are no MME factor changes on the horizon, so just when will we have our minds wrapped around the concept?!?
Join the Mark “Pain Guy” Garofoli on the Pain Pod for a dynamic discussion on wrestling (yes, you read that right!), pain management, our healthcare system, and the “street” version of MMEs. Wait, there’s a street version of MMEs? Yes, yes there is, so tune in now to the Pain Pod as you’ll only utilize the edge of your seat even though ya paid for the whole seat!
Come one, come all, to the Pain Pod!!!
Episode Notes
Pre-2016 MME Charts Review
· Nielson S. et. al. A synthesis of oral morphine equivalents (OME) for opioid utilization studies. Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety 2016; 25: 733–737
2016 CDC Chronic Pain Opioid Guideline MME Chart
· CDC Chronic Pain Opioid Guidelines: MMWR March 2016. Updated 2017.
o Tramadol: 0.1
o Codeine: 0.15
o Tapentadol: 0.4
o Morphine: 1
o Hydrocodone: 1
o Oxycodone: 1.5
o Oxymorphone: 3
o Hydromorphone: 4
o Methadone (Up to: 20mg, 40mg, 60mg, >60mg): 4, 8, 10, 12
o Transdermal Fentanyl: 7.2 (Divided by the # of Days Applied)
o Transdermal Buprenorphine: 12.6 (Divided by the # of Days Applied)
o Buprenorphine (SL or Buccal): 0.03 (for mcg calculations) or 30 (for mg calculations)
2015 Cat and Dog MME Article
· https://burrardvet.com/2015/04/08/pain-control-in-dogs-cats
2016 CDC Chronic Pain Opioid Guideline MME Chart
· CDC Chronic Pain Opioid Guidelines: MMWR March 2016. Updated 2017.
2022 CDC Opioid Guideline Revision Resources
· https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/10/2022-02802/proposed-2022-cdc-clinical-practice-guideline-for-prescribing-opioids
2010 to 2014 MME Relative Risk of Overdose/Death
· https://i1.wp.com/face-facts.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Opioid-dose-vs-overdose-risk.jpg
Missouri Marijuana Equivalents (MMEs)
· https://north.life/demystifying-missouri-medical-marijuana-equivalency-units-mmes/
Audio Add-in’s
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble (Michael Buffer)
· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgopHWACUXs
Cash sound
· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeET7Z1ZGlw
Ron Burgundy “That Escalated Quickly”
· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FONN-0uoTHI
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Friday Jun 24, 2022
RxSummit 2022 Conference Summary | PAIN POD
Friday Jun 24, 2022
Friday Jun 24, 2022
https://www.rx-summit.com/
Dr. Mark Garofoli was live and in person at the 2022 RxSummit Conference which hosted anyone and everyone affiliated with and touched by our country's Drug Crisis. The "Pain Guy" spoke with many federal and state leaders (including our U.S. Drug Czar Dr. Gupta, our NIDA Director Dr. Volkow, DEA leadership, and so on), along with fellow conference presenters and attendees alike. Many of those conversations were recorded and contained within this dynamic conference summary episode of the Pain Pod!
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Wednesday May 25, 2022
The Conversation with the CDC (2022 Opioid Guideline Revision) | PAIN POD
Wednesday May 25, 2022
Wednesday May 25, 2022
MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT (in Pain Management)!!!
The 2022 CDC Opioid Guideline Revision (from 2016)!!!
Join the Mark “Pain Guy” Garofoli on the Pain Pod with special guest Dr. Christopher Jones, PharmD, DrPH, MPH from the CDC for a dynamic discussion on the 2022 CDC Opioid Guideline Revision. No questions avoided, no topic left behind, as Mark and Chris review all aspects of this incredibly important advancement in pain management.
You may want to listen to this episode twice, if not ten times!!!
Come one, come all, to the Pain Pod!!!
2022 CDC Opioid Guideline Revision Resources
• https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/10/2022-02802/proposed-2022-cdc-clinical-practice-guideline-for-prescribing-opioids
• Email: opioids@cdc.gov
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Monday Apr 25, 2022
Thug Drugs: Stimulants | PAIN POD
Monday Apr 25, 2022
Monday Apr 25, 2022
THUG DRUGS! With a name like that, it has to be good! Even better than Smuckers (Age old ad slogan for jelly/jam)! Grab your Cup of Joe and sit back, or better yet, work out, go for a jog, as this episode will pump, you, UP!
From Caffeine to Cocaine with a jolt of Meth, the PAIN GUY on the PAIN POD will discuss legal and illicit stimulants in the realms of pain management, substance use disorder (addiction), and our communities, and globe for that matter.
Get ready for some homework, as you’ll definitely end up watching Breaking Bad, The Wire, and maybe even Scarface for the 222nd time (only pharmacists will get the pun there!).
Come one, come all, to the Pain Pod!!!
FreeCE Substances of Abuse Specialty Pharmacist (SASP) Certificate
https://www.freece.com/Programs/SeriesCertification/ab66a419-b5e5-458b-9494-0acb6af1be92
Drug/Overdose Trends
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates
https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports/prescription-opioid-trends-in-the-united-states
2005 Combat Meth Act & State Pseudoephedrine Restrictions
https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/meth/cma2005_general_info.pdf
https://odcp.ky.gov/Pages/Cold-Allergy-Medication-Restrictions.aspx
Wasping
https://amp-livescience-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.livescience.com/65954-wasp-spray-overdose-meth.html
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/dangerous-drug-trend-called-wasping-combines-meth/story?id=54068422
Methgators!!!
https://time.com/5627237/tennessee-flush-drugs-meth-gators/
Illicit Substances Resources
Erowid
DEA Reports
Drugs of Abuse
National Drug Threat Assessment
INCB (International Narcotics Control Board)
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
CESAR (Center for Substance Abuse Research)
NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Online Blogs
Blue Light
Drug Forum
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Tuesday Mar 22, 2022
The Least of Us in Dreamland | PAIN POD
Tuesday Mar 22, 2022
Tuesday Mar 22, 2022
What do Mexico, drugs, society, the Bible, and whiskey have in common? Join us on this episode of the PAIN POD, as Mark “Pain Guy” Garofoli chats with Sam Quinones, author of “Dreamland” and “The Least of Us”, with the later having just released in October 2021. It’s often hard to see the forest within the trees, but Sam clears the fog for all of us to whittle it down on how to provide patient care for those in pain and/or with addiction. Come one, come all, to the Pain Pod!!!
Sam Quinones
https://samquinones.com/
Drug/Overdose Trends
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates
https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports/prescription-opioid-trends-in-the-united-states
FreeCE Substances of Abuse Specialty Pharmacist (SASP) Certificate
https://www.freece.com/Programs/SeriesCertification/ab66a419-b5e5-458b-9494-0acb6af1be92
CDC Opioid Guideline Updated Draft for Public Comment
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/CDC-2022-0024/document
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Wednesday Feb 16, 2022
Painful Poly Pharmacy | PAIN POD
Wednesday Feb 16, 2022
Wednesday Feb 16, 2022
On this episode of the PAIN POD, Mark “Pain Guy” Garofoli will chat with Dr. Eric Christianson, a nationally recognized pharmacology expert, about drug interactions with particular attention in the pain management realm. CYP-450, of course, Serotonin Syndrome, we’ll give the down and dirty on explain what all the hub bub is about, and might even have a conversation for our snowbirds out there and everyone else who enjoys grapefruit juice! Considering drug interaction database flag every medication known to mankind, and yet with completely different recommendations, it’s best to hear it from the source as to how in the world to best help our patients in pain. Listen in, right here, right now, on the Pain Pod. Come one, come all, to the Pain Pod!!!
MedEd101
https://www.meded101.com/
Real Life Pharmacology (Grapefruit Juice Interaction Podcast Episode)
https://www.reallifepharmacology.com/grapefruit-juice-interactions/
AGS Beers List (2019)
https://geriatricscareonline.org/toc/american-geriatrics-society-updated-beers-criteria/CL001
Chicago Tribune Drug Interaction Secret Patient Article (2016)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/investigations/ct-drug-interactions-pharmacy-met-20161214-story.html
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Thursday Jan 06, 2022
OTC Pain Meds | PAIN POD
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
On this episode of the PAIN POD, Mark Pain Guy Garofoli chats with Dr. Laura Meyer-Junco, PharmD, BCPS, CPE, an international expert on Over-the-Counter (OTC) self-care pain management, about the complexities of pain medications that are readily available for anyone and everyone in our society in dollar stores, gas stations, grocery stores, hotel gift shops, and pharmacies alike. Just how much info can be crammed into one analgesic pharmacy aisle? Tons! Laura provides some pearls and pointers to help us all help others with OTC pain medications. Join the discussion right here, right now, on the Pain Pod. Come one, come all, to the Pain Pod!!!
Resources
Pediatric OTC Pain Medication Dosing
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000783.htm
Dr. Laura Meyer-Junco Bio
https://www.painweek.org/media/read/laura-meyer-junco
Pain News Network (Pain Guy’s Recent PAINWeek Poster Video Interview)
https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/
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