Overview
The college has partnered with the Online Pain Education Network (OPEN), a national, evidence-based online program, to support access to contemporary, multidisciplinary pain education. OPEN offers flexible, CPD-accredited learning for the broader health workforce, aligned with current models of care and national standards.
What is the OPEN program?
OPEN is a national, evidence-based online pain education program developed by the University of Sydney and Curtin University, in partnership with leading clinicians, researchers and people with lived experience of pain.
It equips health professionals with the knowledge and skills to deliver contemporary, person-centred care, and aligns with the Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education.
Through OPEN, you can access:
- Up to 20 hours of CPD-accredited learning.
- Fully online, flexible modules you can complete at your own pace.
- Practical, interdisciplinary content designed for real-world application.
Continue your pain education journey with OPEN
Learn moreFAQs
The college has partnered with the Online Pain Education Network (OPEN) to support access to high-quality, contemporary multidisciplinary pain education.
Following a strategic review, OPEN was identified as a modern, evidence-based program that aligns with current models of care and the Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education.
This partnership allows the college to continue supporting the broader health workforce while focusing its own efforts on specialist training, advocacy and research.
OPEN:
- Reflects contemporary pain science and best practice care models.
- Is co-designed with people living with pain, supporting person-centred care.
- Is widely endorsed across the health sector (including RACGP and ACRRM).
- Supports multidisciplinary teams, not just individual clinicians.
In contrast, the Better Pain Management program (BPM) is an older program that would require redevelopment to meet current standards.
No. OPEN is not an ANZCA or FPM-owned course.
It is an externally developed program that the faculty recommends as a high-quality introductory pain education option. The partnership is non-exclusive, and the college retains full independence over its own education and training programs.
OPEN is designed for the entire health workforce, including:
- General practitioners
- Nurses and nurse practitioners
- Physiotherapists and allied health professionals
- Medical specialists
Fellows are encouraged to recommend OPEN to their teams to support consistent, multidisciplinary pain care.
OPEN complements specialist training by:
- Reinforcing biopsychosocial approaches to care
- Strengthening interdisciplinary leadership and coordination
- Supporting patient-centred communication and self-management strategies
It also provides a practical resource to support team-based care across services.
The OPEN program is available for a one-off enrolment fee (currently $280), which provides access to the full program and all modules.
Key resources
Other pages you might be interested in
The Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education mark a national first in recognising pain education as a foundation for better care. Learn what the standards are, who they’re for, and how they will shape the future of pain management in Australia.
The Faculty of Pain Medicine is the professional body dedicated to the training and education of specialist pain physicians and plays a key role in reducing the burden of pain on society through education, advocacy, training, and research.
The Faculty of Pain Medicine offers a specialist training program for doctors to become pain medicine physicians, a Procedures Endorsement Program, and online training for health care providers wishing to upskill in pain management.