For Immediate Release
Medical Marijuana is a Hot Topic at the New York State Pain Society’s Annual Meeting
The meeting is New York State’s comprehensive continuing education program on pharmacologic,
interventional, and complimentary therapies to manage pain.
March 28, 2014 – Syosset, New York – Chronic pain is a significant public health problem affecting more than 100 million adults in America, and it comes with a treatment price tag as high as $635 billion. Next week, more than 300 healthcare professionals will convene for the New York State Pain Society’s annual meeting to discuss the implications of medical marijuana, prescription painkillers and other alternative therapies for chronic pain management. The three-day meeting, jointly sponsored by the Westchester Academy of Medicine, will be held April 4-6 at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel, West Harrison, New York. Specialists with an interest in acute and chronic pain are invited to attend. For more information about the annual meeting and scientific sessions, or to register, visit www.nypainsociety.org.
“The Society’s membership and scientific programs are open to all physicians and healthcare practitioners across all specialties because chronic pain is a condition that every doctor, pharmacist, dentist, nurse, therapist, physical therapist, acupuncturist, and practitioner encounters in his or her practice,” said Attorney Robin L. Hoyle, Executive Director of the New York State Pain Society. “It is important that the Society takes the leadership role across the state of New York in providing continuing education on all options to manage acute and chronic pain.”
Highlights of the meeting include:
President Alexander Weingarten MD will open the meeting on Friday with a session on opioid use, misuse and abuse. On Saturday, Richard Gasalberti MD of Forest Hills, New York will be sworn in as the 2014-16 Society President. After his investiture, the afternoon program will highlight a special discussion with experts on the pros and cons of medical marijuana to manage chronic pain. On Sunday, attendees may obtain a certification endorsed by the FDA for Safe Opioid Prescribing.
New York State has a new I-STOP law to monitor the way prescription drugs are distributed and tracked. In a recent report, Prescription Drug Abuse: Strategies to Stop the Epidemic, New York has the sixth lowest drug overdose mortality rate in the United States, with 7.8 per 100,000 people suffering drug overdose fatalities.
Founded in 2011, the New York State Pain Society (NYSPS) aims to advance the art and science of acute and chronic pain management through professional educational programming and medical research. The organization was established as a result of clinicians and healthcare practitioners coming together to create a statewide medical society to highlight issues unique to New York, and showcase the latest advances in multidisciplinary treatments. For more information about NYSPS please visit www.nypainsociety.org
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You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/newyorkstatepainsociety and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/nypainsociety. You can also join our open group on LinkedIn.
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