POPAN Pain Summit

 No feelings of guilt, shame, failure or embarrassment associated with having pain and needing to take care of it at this conference!  There were people wearing braces, on crutches, using motorized scooters and wheelchairs, and accommodations were made, nicely, for all these needs.  I don’t think I apologized more than a few times for using a motorized chair, and then only when I bumped into someone or something.  I find I apologize much more frequently when out in the general public with my scooter or chair, and often then it is just because I exist, not because I have caused anyone a real problem.  What a difference a little bit of understanding can make!  How nice not to have to feel stressed about using assistive devices to enhance my physical abilities.  Thanks to the organizers of the Summit for all they did to make us all comfortable and for working with the hotel staff to minimize any problems.

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.