17 Oct 2023
The WSAVA Certificate in Pain Management is based on the updated Global Guidelines for the Recognition, Assessment and Treatment of Pain and has been created with Zoetis as a new toolkit.
James Westgate
Job Title
WSAVA president Ellen van Nierop.
A new certificate launched at WSAVA Congress has been created to help solve the “huge problem” of untreated and undiagnosed pain in companion animals around the world.
The WSAVA Certificate in Pain Management is based on the updated Global Guidelines for the Recognition, Assessment and Treatment of Pain and has been created in partnership with Zoetis as a new toolkit to help veterinary professionals to tackle the issue.
It is the first time any of WSAVA’s global guidelines have been turned into a certificate, and the course is delivered in three modules: understanding and assessing pain; preventing and treating pain; and pain management in practice.
Each module contains recorded lectures from current members of the WSAVA’s global pain council (GPC) and other global experts, including Paulo Steagall and former GPC chairperson Duncan Lascelles.
With thousands of veterinary professionals around the world attempting to diagnose and treat pain without access to the latest tools and medicines – including those working in certain south-east Asian countries where it is illegal for vets to administer or prescribe opioids – it is hoped the certificate can have a significant global impact.
WSAVA GPC chairperson Bea Monteiro said: “[This certificate] will help veterinary professionals understand the critical importance of pain management for companion animal health and welfare.
“It will show them how to assess pain using the latest knowledge of pain-related behaviours and validated pain scales. Finally, it will guide them in treating pain effectively, using the most appropriate drug and non-drug therapies, based on the availability of particular analgesics and other therapies in the region of the world in which they are in practice.”
Speaking about the new certificate at WSAVA Congress 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal (27 to 29 September), Zoetis chief medical officer Mike McFarland said the certificate is aimed at the entire practice team, not just veterinary surgeons.
Dr McFarland said: “The problem of undiagnosed pain and untreated pain is a huge problem globally, and we believe this certificate can help address that problem by making the latest knowledge available to vets and vet nurses around the world.
“The Certificate in Pain Management is basically the guidelines being brought to life so that it’s more easily digestible by the veterinarian and veterinary technicians. And I do think it’s important to bring up the fact that vet nurses and technicians are really central to managing pain and hospitalised patients.
“So, this course had to be constructed in a way where at least the first two sections were appropriate for a veterinary technician or veterinary nurse to learn, not just the vets.
“We believe that this certificate represents a significant step forward for veterinary professionals in building awareness of the way in which new solutions to managing pain can improve the quality of life for pets and their owners as well as protecting the precious bond between them.”
WSAVA Congress 2023 saw previews of several other global guidelines, including a set of “paradigm-shifting” reproduction control guidelines and an update to WSAVA’s vaccination guidelines. These will be published in full once the peer review process has been completed.
As well as the launch of new guidelines, the three-day event featured a packed scientific and social programme with almost 3,800 delegates attending from 103 counties, making 2023 one of the largest and most diverse congresses ever hosted by WSAVA.
WSAVA president Ellen van Nierop said: “Setting standards for companion animal practice and delivering professional and personal development for the veterinary team are two of our key strategic goals, and the variety of content on offer at this year’s World Congress confirmed our intent to meet these goals.
“It was a privilege to learn from so many fellow professionals, who share our commitment to drive our profession forward. We thank all those who worked so hard to make World Congress such a success – our fantastic speakers, our exhibitors and industry partners and, of course, the expert volunteers from the WSAVA’s committees, whose knowledge and dedication is transforming companion animal practice around the world.”
Five new members joined the WSAVA during its assembly meeting prior to World Congress, bringing its membership to 116 veterinary associations globally. They were: the Albanian Veterinary Society, the Algerian Veterinary Space Foundation, Colegio Médico Veterinario de Chile, the Iran Small Animal Veterinary Association and the World Association for Veterinary Dermatology.
WSAVA World Congress 2024 will take place in Suzhou, China from 3-5 September.
