Annual Pain Summit

Among the key issues we discussed were the National Pain Care Policy Act, which I have dedicated previous Share Posts to.  I am happy to report that the Act has been approved by the relevant Senate Committee for action by the full Senate.  With the current Health Care Reform Debate underway it is anyone’s guess when this might be brought for a vote.  It is important that we all continue to ask friends, family members and anyone else interested in effective treatment for pain to write to their U.S. Senators urging them to vote in favor of S.660, The National Pain Care Policy Act.

This Bill is a very positive action on the part of Congress in regards to chronic pain. On the other hand, a very troubling issue that was discussed at the Summit is the FDA proposed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies for Certain Opioid Drugs (REMS), which calls for strict regulations and reporting on all prescriptions for strong pain medications, especially opioids. While we all agree that efforts need to be made to limit the abuse of such medications, it should not be done at the cost of effective treatment for people in pain.  Doctors need to have better ways to identify those people who are seeking drugs for other than legitimate pain management, and pharmacies should work together to track those customers that are bringing in prescriptions from numerous doctors or are bringing their prescriptions to several pharmacies.  It is unconscionable, however, for the FDA, or any other federal agency, to restrict the availability of the most effective pain treatments to those individuals living in chronic, intractable pain.

Another worrisome proposal we discussed at the Summit is one in which a registry of people taking certain pain medications would be maintained by the FDA, in effect adding additional stigma to those in pain. Would we expect people with any other diagnosis to be included on a federal registry because others might misuse their medication?  I doubt it, but pain is so misunderstood by members of the medical community and the general public that there is little sensitivity shown to those of us who live with it, and little understanding of how these policies can affect our lives and our health.

We accomplished much more at the Summit in sessions dedicated to learning how to reach out to the media, government officials, and medical professionals to advocate for the most effective treatment for everyone living with pain.  There were also several sessions in which plans were discussed for September is Pain Awareness Month.  Each State Leader has been asked to plan something in their State for this specially dedicated month and some volunteers shared what they have already planned — from obtaining Proclamations from their Governors to holding educational seminars to organizing awareness building programs and events such as marathons. 

I was pleased to attend this Summit so soon after my appointment as a NY State Leader, and came home filled with motivation and ideas.  Of course now the challenge is to live up to my own goals and meet the expectations of the staff and other volunteers of POPAN.  I am hoping to recruit a few other people who understand the challenges of living with pain to work with me on a project for September is Pain Awareness Month, and beyond that to advocate on behalf of good policies and enhancing awareness about pain management by medical professionals, people in pain and the general public.