64: Patients, Pills and Policies

This edition is funded by Grünenthal.Almost 100 million EU citizens have chronic pain, but there is still much progress to be made in improving diagnosis and treatment. Pain Concern’s Rowena Jacobs attended the fifth Societal Impact of Pain symposium to find out how patient groups, healthcare professionals and policy makers are coming together to push pain up the agenda. We hear about a successful initiative to change the culture around opioid prescriptions in Italy and the problems facing patients across the continent due an excessive fear of drug dependence, while Northern Irish representatives explain how the Painful Truth campaign has brought the patient experience of pain home to healthcare professionals and policy makers, leading to greater recognition of pain. Pain specialists at the forefront of the campaign for better care explain why education and awareness raising is still such an important issue and Lars Møller, representing a Danish patient group, recalls his struggle to be get treatment for pain in the face of ignorant healthcare professionals. Finally, people in pain are urged to get involved in the fight for better pain management services by putting pressure on politicians.Contributors:  Lars Møller, Vice President, Danish Association of Chronic Pain Patients  Prof Hans Kress, Head of Department of Special Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy, Medical University of Vienna  Dr Giustino Marassi, Pain Specialist, Italy  Dr Willem Scholten, International Doctors for Healthier Drug Policies (IDHDP)  Neil Betteridge, Vice Chair of the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition in the UK  Louise Skelly, Head of Operations, Patient and Client Council, Northern Ireland  Dr Pamela Bell, Chair of the Pain Alliance of Northern Ireland  Dr Chris Wells, President, European Pain Federation. #Chronicpainasaconditioninitsownright #Educatinghealthcareprofessionals #Epidemiologyofpain #Fundingandavailabilityofpainservices #Generalpractitioners #Healthcarepolicy #Opioids #Socialandeconomicimpactofpain #Psychologicaleffectsofpain