COUNCILS
Professional Education Council Public Awareness Council
Legislative Issues and Access to Care Council

Professional Education Council

The Professional Education Council is undertaking the task of educating and informing health care professionals about effective pain management. From March-November 2003, council members led a successful practice change program, Institutionalizing Effective Pain Management Practices, for twenty-two home health agencies and small community hospitals across Massachusetts. Presentations and workshops by Council members to a variety of audiences are on-going, as more individuals/organizations are looking for information on pain assessment and interventions. This council also developed a Pain Management Pocket Tool for distribution to healthcare professionals. The tool was first printed in September 2004 thanks to the generosity of Masspro, healthcare quality improvement organization. Over 3000 tools have been distributed thus far and the council has created an updated version in 2005. The professional education council members are making plans to educate clinical staff in health care facilities in MA with Power Over Pain. The council also assists in organizing educational programs offered by MassPI. They would also like to develop a resource list for individuals seeking speakers on various topics related to pain.

Legislative Issues and Access to Care Council

The Legislative Council’s goals are to identify legislative and regulatory barriers to effective pain management, to educate legislators and regulators about pain so that barriers can be lifted,and to work collaboratively with the Boards of Registration in Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Dentistry. On Dec. 15, 2004, The Board of Registration in Medicine unanimously adopted the Federation of State Medical Board's Model Policy for the Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain. This occurred after almost a year of effort from MassPI. Furthermore, this council is working with the Boards of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Dentistry to adopt similar policies for pain, hopefully to occur

in 2005. The Pain & Policy Studies Group has issued two report cards,Achieving Balance in State Pain Policy, the first in 2000 then a follow up in 2003. Massachusetts is one of only 5 states to have the highest score of a B+ for 2003 (improved its grade from a D in 2000). MassPI is advocating for changes that could improve that grade further. Adoption of the revised Model Policy, ideally in concert with the Boards of Registration in Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Dentistry would be a very positive action. In addition, MassPI Legislative Council would like to discuss possibilities for implementation of these guidelines to ensure and promote their dissemination and appropriate utilization throughout Massachusetts.
To see the Legislative Update from Summer 2005 that discusses issues with the proposal to ban Oxycontin, click here.
To see the Massachusetts OxyContin and Other Drug Abuse Commission report, click here
The Council Chair is Cindy Steinberg, New England Director, American Chronic Pain Association. Please click on ‘Strategic goals’ at the beginning of this page in order to see the plans for this council.

For more information or to see how to become involved, please contact Cindy Steinberg .

Public Awareness Council

This council’s purpose is to empower the members of all communities in Massachusetts by increasing their knowledge of pain and related issues. This includes developing spokespeople and working with media and communication channels to properly disseminate pertinent information about pain. The Power Over Pain program (POP) is the leading vehicle to inform and educate the public about pain. This program offers slide presentations about effective pain management to the public and to health care professionals. The Public Awareness Council developed a brochure to inform the public of the POP program, identified and trained POP presenters who are geographically dispersed and established a POP Volunteer Guide. Presentations by Council members and MassPI members at large to a variety of audiences are on-going. MassPI has fifteen nationally trained spokespeople who have offered quotes for several journalists inquiring about pain-related articles, including Boston Globe, Republican, and 1020 AM radio interview.

For more information or to see how to become involved,
please contact Hannah Lyons .

to the top of the page