Certificate in Pain Management

School of Professional Studies

Location: Online

Deepen your pain management expertise with a conference-caliber curriculum delivered in a convenient online format. This robust certificate will take an interprofessional approach to pain management, bringing together perspectives from pharmacists, acupuncturists, physicians, nurses, psychiatrists, and other clinical and integrative health professionals. Designed to be highly interactive, courses will utilize case studies to go beyond foundational concepts and apply advanced strategies that providers can put into practice.

Why Choose Our Program?

  • Interactive Learning: Engage with complex patient case studies and apply advanced strategies beyond foundational concepts.
  • Free Introductory Course: Start with the first course (Foundations of Pain: An Interprofessional Lens) at no cost and experience the quality of our certificate program.
  • Expert-Led Instruction: Learn from MCPHS faculty and community healthcare leaders specializing in pain management.
  • Flexible Format: Enjoy the convenience of self-paced content combined with live virtual sessions with pain management experts.
  • Comprehensive Certificate: Earn a Certificate in Pain Management from MCPHS upon successful completion of all four courses.

Program Highlights:

  • Fully online format for your convenience.
  • Interprofessional approaches to enhance healthcare delivery in both clinical and integrative settings.
  • Real-world case studies to illustrate practical applications.

This program is designed for healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, acupuncturists, dental hygienists, dentists, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, physicians, physician assistants, psychiatrists, and social workers. Practicing clinicians will benefit the most from this certificate. To have the best learning experience, a fundamental understanding of medicine and/or prior education in clinical sciences is recommended.

Participants will benefit from the interprofessional model, learning from other disciplines and building a community to share ideas and resources. Upon completion of the Certificate in Pain Management, students will be better prepared to apply their understanding of the interprofessional model in acute pain, cancer pain, chronic non-cancer pain, hospice, and palliative care settings.

The fully online program includes self-paced content and live virtual sessions with pain management experts. The program consists of four courses that may be taken individually. Participants who wish to earn a certificate must complete all four courses. Our live virtual sessions are recorded and made available to participants who have a schedule conflict or would like to view them again. These courses do not need to be taken sequentially, though it is strongly recommended that participants start with Course 1 to gain the foundational knowledge for the other courses.

Please visit individual course webpages for Tuition and Fees. 

Participants may cancel their registration for a full refund up until 11:59 p.m. ET on the start date of their program. Cancel directly through the registration portal, by selecting "Withdraw from Course."

Michele Matthews, PharmD, BCACP, FASHP, Vice Chair and Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Stephen Cina, DAIH, MAOM, Lic. Ac., ATC, NASM CES, Assistant Professor, New England School of Acupuncture at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Christopher Joyce, PT, DPT, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Physical Therapy at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Ewan McNicol, PharmD, MSPREP, Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Patricia Murray, DHS, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, Associate Dean of Assessment and Accreditation, Associate Professor, FNP Track Coordinator, School of Nursing at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Carolyn Hall, PharmD, BCPS, Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Improve patient care across various clinical settings with advanced, interprofessional education in pain management. 

Our program equips healthcare professionals with the skills to collaborate effectively, share knowledge across disciplines, and apply their expertise in acute pain, cancer pain, chronic non-cancer pain, hospice, and palliative care.

Top tips for online learners

MCPHS faculty share advice on how to make your online experience successful.

Learn what works

#3 in the country for value

A study by Georgetown University has ranked MCPHS as the third best institution in the U.S. for the economic value it provides its students.

Free Course

The first course is available at no cost as an introductory special to this new certificate.

Course Descriptions

Course 1 | Foundations of Pain: An Interprofessional Lens

This foundational course will cover analgesic pharmacotherapy and nonpharmacologic treatments, across acute, chronic noncancer pain, cancer pain, palliative care, and hospice settings.

Course 2 | The Role of Opioids in Acute and Chronic Pain

This comprehensive course will focus on harm reduction, patient education, and identifying and assessing opioid misuse. Students will review integrative case studies and emerging research.

Course 3 | Advancing Comprehensive Pain Care: Multifaceted Strategies for Advocacy, Integration, and Sociocultural Awareness

This informative course will bring together perspectives from pain management patients, caregivers, and patient advocates, and bring forth cultural, demographic, and ethical considerations through case studies that include special populations.

Course 4 | Organizational Aspects of Pain Management

This intensive course will take a deep dive into patient stories and case studies to develop a comprehensive understanding of “whole person” health through integrative health and the biopsychosocial model.

In the News

Stay up to date with the latest news from the School of Professional Studies.

Request Information

Learn and apply interprofessional approaches to pain management to improve healthcare delivery in clinical and integrative settings.