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Last month, the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy (PAINS) released its annual report on issues facing patients with chronic pain. A part of the Center for Practical Bioethics, PAINS is a consortium of providers, patients, policy groups, consumers, payers, and the private sector that formed in response to the Institute of Medicine’s 2011 report, Relieving Pain in America.

The report, “Lost in Chaos: The State of Chronic Pain in 2016,” is designed as a tool for PAINS members to help them improve pain policy. This year, the focus is on the intersection of two key public health issues—chronic pain and opioid addiction—which the authors say are often misunderstood and conflated.

The report details this year’s major legislation and policy on pain relief, particularly opioids, and how those policies affect pain patients. It also discusses the importance of the National Pain Strategy and makes recommendations to restore a balance between managing pain and curbing abuse.

Help spread the word

Help raise awareness about the challenges facing chronic pain patients by downloading the report and sharing it far and wide. To share the report on Twitter, click here.

For more information about PAINS, visit painsproject.org.