This e-learning course promotes the safe management of opioid analgesics, a commonly used group of high risk medicines.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course you will be able to:

• explain what opioid analgesics are
• analyse why opioid analgesics are high risk medicines
• define differences between opioid equivalencies
• identify risks associated with different opioid analgesic formulations
• identify risks associated with look-alike, sound-alike (LASA) opioid analgesics
• distinguish between opioid analgesics in relation to prescription and administration in acute, chronic and cancer pain settings
• review the use of more than one opioid analgesic for an individual patient
• monitor opioid analgesics and adverse effects in patients
• determine an appropriate dose and duration of opioid analgesics on discharge.