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ASPI E-Newsletter

The ASPI E-Newsletter is a monthly e-mail update on pain related issues and events and the activities of the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives. To receive the ASPI E-Newsletter, please email Ronna Popkin at rapopkin@wisc.edu
Click here for past E-Newsletters.

January 2008 E-Newsletter
gotoDistribution of 40 mg Methadone Formulation Restricted
gotoASPI and ACS Issue Joint Position Statement on Prescribing Restrictions
gotoState Pain Initiatives in Action: New Hampshire Pain Initiative   
gotoASPI Updates Position Statement on Prescription Monitoring Programs

Distribution of 40 mg Methadone Formulation Restricted

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently issued an advisory announcing that manufacturers of methadone hydrochloride 40 mg tablets have agreed to restrict distribution of this formulation of the drug. As of January 1, 2008, the 40 mg tablets, which are not FDA approved for use in pain management, will only be distributed to hospitals and facilities that have been authorized for detoxification and maintenance treatment of persons with opioid addiction. The 5 mg and 10 mg formulations of methadone hydrochloride, which are approved for the treatment of pain, will continue to be available to all authorized registrants, including retail pharmacies.   

ASPI and ACS Issue Joint Position Statement on Prescribing Restrictions

The Alliance of State Pain Initiatives and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network recently issued a joint position statement on pain medication and prescribing restrictions.  Both organizations support policies that maintain the primacy of health care providers in clinical decision making and oppose policies that place undue restrictions on the types or amounts of pain medications that can be prescribed or dispensed.   Click here to read the full statement.

State Pain Initiatives in Action: New Hampshire Pain Initiative   

The New Hampshire Pain Initiative (NHPI) is currently working on a creative and exciting program designed to raise awareness among seniors about pain issues.  In conjunction with Senior Moments, a local acting troupe, NHPI developed “I Haven’t Got Time for the Pain,” a series of five educational and humorous skits focusing on a variety of common pain issues that seniors today face.  The performances, supported in part through a partnership grant from the ASPI and Lance Armstrong Foundation, are open to the public and have already been viewed by over 225 individuals at senior centers and retirement communities throughout New Hampshire.  An additional 10 performances are scheduled between February and June 2008, and DVDs of the skits will be made available for purchase this summer.  To obtain a schedule of upcoming performances and learn more about the New Hampshire Pain Initiative and their innovative program, visit the NHPI website or email their Project Director, Janice McDermott.

ASPI Updates Position Statement on Prescription Monitoring Programs

ASPI recently updated its position statement on prescription monitoring programs (PMPs). Click here to read the full statement.   

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    The Alliance of State Pain Initiatives and the University of Wisconsin-Madison do not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process described in the E-Newsletter, and the reference to any of these resources does not imply endorsement.

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