This course will focus on the proper application of acute therapeutic treatments for the management of migraine headache disease and review current patient treatment patterns and associated risks. As potential therapeutic options are explored, understanding of the development of medication overuse headache, drug abuse/dependence, and acute medication utilization errors is critical. Also to be discussed: prescriber habits that persist in the acute management of migraine headache but offer little evidence based support and can even drive the same risks associated with exposure to opiates and other addictive agents. The course will cover ideal application of classes of acute interventions, the potential for combination treatments, the use of nonpharmaceutical options, and outcome goals for patients utilizing acute treatment. Medications—from over-the-counter treatments to traditional migraine specific options to newer choices that have been developed—play a vital role in the treatment of migraine attacks; these will be discussed in detail, along with a drug class review and associated risks and advantages. Effective timing of the application of therapies and the associated contraindications that would play a role in medication selection for patients will be reviewed. Finally, the session will highlight the most impactful ways to message education and training to effectively empower patients to get the most advantageous outcomes from the acute interventions.
