March 2006 E-Newsletter

ASPI Meeting: Register Now for Early Bird Discount

ASPI Nat’l Office Awards Funds to Four State Pain Initiatives

Palliative Care Teleconf. Features ASPI’s Patrick Coyne

Kansas Pain Initiative / LIFE Project Seek to Improve State Law

Arizona Medical Board Considers New Pain Policy

Kentucky Nurses Gain Prescribing Privileges

Power Over Pain Reaches Thousands

ASPI MEETING: REGISTER NOW FOR EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT

Register for the ASPI’s annual national meeting by April 21 and save $50.This one-of a-kind meeting brings together health care professionals, researchers, policy experts, and leaders of professional and consumer organizations to share best practices, network with one another, and become energized to develop and implement programs to improve the care of persons in pain. The national meeting will be held from June 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency Plaza in Phoenix, AZ. Information about the meeting, brochure, and registration form are available on the ASPI’s website at http://www.ASPI.wisc.edu

ASPI NAT’L OFFICE AWARDS FUNDS TO FOUR STATE PAIN INITIATIVES

The ASPI National Office is pleased to announce that four State Pain Initiatives have been selected to receive funds to support projects and activities. With these funds, the Arizona Pain Initiative plans to build an infrastructure to position itself as a resource for pain and palliative care in the State. The Nevada Pain Initiative will conduct town hall meetings to raise awareness of pain issues among the public and host a seminar on pain management for health care professionals. The Virginia Cancer Pain Initiative plans to organize a live, interactive pain management education videoconference for health care professionals. The Missouri Pain Initiative will partner with the state’s Advisory Committee on Pain and Symptom Management to develop a statewide strategic plan to address the barriers to proper pain care in the state.

PALLIATIVE CARE TELECONF FEATURES ASPI’S PATRICK COYNE

The Center to Advance Palliative Care will offer a teleconference on April 11 titled, “Oncology Nursing and the Treatment of Pain”. The event features Patrick Coyne, a nationally recognized expert on pain and palliative care and current chairperson of the ASPI’s Advisory Council. For more information on how to participate in the teleconference, visit http://www.capc.org

KANSAS PAIN INITIATIVE/LIFE PROJECT SEEK TO IMPROVE STATE LAW

Although Kansas received an impressive grade of “B+” from the Pain and Policy Studies Group’s (PPSG) 2003 report card on state pain policies, the Kansas Pain Initiative and LIFE Project (Living Initiatives for End-of-Life Care) are not satisfied. They are asking state legislators to support House Bill 2649 to improve state law relating to patients’ rights and professional practice. HB 2649 is moving through the Kansas legislature and among other things deletes language in current state law that perpetuates the belief that the use of opioid analgesics hastens death. This type of language reinforces unfounded fears about opioids and can contribute to inadequate treatment of pain.

AZ MEDICAL BOARD CONSIDERS NEW PAIN POLICY

The Arizona Medical Board held a public hearing on March 16th on a draft policy and guidelines for the treatment of pain. The policy is based in part on the Federation of State Medical Boards’ Model Policy for the Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain, that was endorsed by the ASPI. According to a Board’s news release, “Those who attended (the hearing) generally agreed that the draft goes a long in easing physicians’ fear of regulatory scrutiny.” The draft pain policy is available on the Board’s website at http://www.azmdboard.org/

KENTUCKY NURSES GAIN PRESCRIBING PRIVILEGES

Advance nurse practitioners in Kentucky were granted authority to prescribe controlled substances under a new law enacted in the state earlier this month. Now, only Alabama, Florida and Missouri do not allow nurse practitioners to prescribe controlled substances, although Senate Bill 576 is currently pending in the Missouri legislature to grant this authority

POWER OVER PAIN REACHES THOUSANDS

Power Over Pain, a public awareness outreach program jointly sponsored by the ASPI and the American Pain Foundation, has provided important pain management information to thousands of people through the eleven State Pain Initiatives that have participated in the program since 2003. Through community presentations, professional education forums, and public listening sessions persons with pain, care givers, and health care providers from Alaska to Florida are gaining knowledge and resources to help improve pain care.

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Contact Us: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Rm 4720 1300 University Ave Madison, WI 53706 Phone: (608) 265-4013 Fax: (608) 265-4014 aspi@mailplus.wisc.edu