American society of health-system pharmacists' pain management network.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' (ASHP) Pain Management Network is one of several informal networking groups of pharmacist practitioners who specialize in a clinical practice area. Pharmacy practitioners are showing an increased interest in the management of pain because of expanding clinical roles, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations' development of pain management standards, and involvement with performance improvement and quality initiatives. The Pain Management Network is one of the American Society of Health-system Pharmacists (ASHP) Section of Clinical Specialists and Scientists specialty practice networks. The Network serves as an informal venue for practitioners interested in pain management to gather and share information. Pain Management Network Assemblies are held at each ASHP national meeting. Practitioners communicate between meetings via the Section's e-mail list server. Pharmacists who participate in the Pain Management Network have a variety of roles in both acute and chronic pain management. Their roles may be consultative in nature or they may be involved in the actual medication management as part of a collaborative drug therapy management agreement with a physician. Pharmacists are involved with acute pain, cancer-related pain, and chronic nonmalignant pain management. Current issues involve education of pharmacy students and practicing pharmacists as well as the use of meperidine as an analgesic agent. Compounding of non-sterile drugs for intraspinal use is another current issue. Access to evidence-based pain management resources may be difficult to locate and access but is essential to good pain management. The ASHP Pain Management Network has proven to be a valuable way for participants to gather and exchange new information and share in their clinical practice experiences.