States are making steady progress in adopting effective policies that help people with pain to alleviate their suffering, according to a newly released national report card. However, there are still states with policies that prevent healthcare professionals from effectively alleviating the suffering of their patients.

The report, Achieving Balance in State Pain Policy: A Progress Report Card (Second Edition), was prepared by the University of Wisconsin Pain & Policy Studies Group (PPSG) and jointly funded by the nation’s leading information and advocacy groups for people with cancer: the American Cancer Society, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

PPSG researchers evaluated whether state pain policies and regulations enhance or impede pain management. In the report, each state is assigned a grade from ‘A’ to ‘F’ that reflects the effectiveness of its pain policy. PPSG also evaluated policies in place in 2000 and 2003 to determine what changes have been made over time. Results show continued momentum for positive policy change over the six-year evaluation period:

– Two states (Michigan and Virginia) received an ‘A’ grade, which no state received in 2003.

– 82 percent of states have a grade above ‘C,’ up from 49 percent that received a ‘C’ in 2000 and 67 percent in 2003.

– No state’s grade decreased between 2000 and 2006.

– 19 states saw their grades improve from 2003.

“We’re seeing positive results because healthcare regulators have adopted policies encouraging pain management, palliative care, and end-of-life care,” said Aaron Gilson, Ph.D., associate director of US policy research of the PPSG. “Additionally, many state legislatures have repealed restrictive or ambiguous policy language that has prevented healthcare professionals from aggressively treating pain.”

“Despite this progress, most states still face the challenge of removing their remaining policy barriers, communicating the new or revised policies to healthcare practitioners and ensuring that the spirit of these policies are put into practice.”

“The results of PPSG’s research show a very encouraging improvement in state pain policies, but more needs to be done to effectively address the national health crisis of undertreated pain,” said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., CEO of the American Cancer Society. “States must effectively inform the medical community about improved pain policies so people with pain can benefit from them. Patients, health organizations, healthcare professionals, regulatory officials, licensing boards, and policymakers all have a role to play to promote a balanced approach to pain control policy and practice.”

“Cancer survivors deserve to have their pain managed effectively so that they can focus on living life on their own terms,” said Mitch Stoller, president and chief executive officer of the LAF. “We must ensure that policies are in place to help people obtain medical care to promote the highest quality of life possible. We know that many states still have work to do to remove barriers to effective pain management, and we are proud to join in that critical work.”

“Effective treatment of pain is a key element in ensuring a good quality of life for cancer patients and other people faced with life-threatening illness. We are committed to making sure remaining barriers to effective pain management are removed and that health care workers are adequately informed of recent policy changes that can positively impact the lives of their patients,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Balanced Policies Necessary

For years, many states have had restrictive or ambiguous policies that could create barriers to the effective treatment of pain. An estimated 100 million Americans who are affected by chronic diseases and conditions suffer from pain. Untreated pain can devastate a person’s quality of life, affecting all aspects of daily functioning, including sleep, work, and relationships.

While there are several effective medications and non-drug therapies available for pain treatment, opioid pain medications are often the best treatment for managing serious, persistent pain. But health professionals can be reluctant to prescribe such medications because of the risk of violating laws aimed at preventing trafficking and abuse of controlled substances.

“Because state and federal policies can either enhance or interfere with pain management, it is important that such policies are balanced to ensure that prescription pain medications are available to patients who need them while at the same time preventing illegal trafficking and non-medical use of opioids,” Dr. Gilson said.

Additional details about the report findings and pain as a public health problem are attached. This project was made possible through joint funding provided by the American Cancer Society, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.