Launch of the Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management Group
The Governor General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), formally launched Painaustralia's Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management Group, and welcomed Tara Moss as the newest Pain Champion at an event held on Tuesday 6 October 2020.
THE ROLE OF MEDICINAL CANNABIS IN PAIN MANAGEMENT, Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management Group
On Thursday 12 November 2020, the first meeting of the Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management Group was held to discuss medicinal cannabis for pain management. The video of the event is here:
Painaustralia issued a briefing paper for the Parliamentary Friends group which can be found here.
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Latest Blog View all
In the wake of recent changes to the availability of pain medicines, many in our networks have asked what medicine scheduling means and how it affects them.
If you are walking down the street and stopped by police, you’d certainly rather have just picked up a schedule 2 substance than a schedule 9. If you are feeling ill and need relief, your GP may prescribe you a schedule 4 medicine. What does this all mean? Let me explain.
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Consumer input into medicine and device approval processes urgently needed
Painaustralia has today called for meaningful and greater input for consumers as part of the approval processes for new devices and medicines in Australia.
Appearing at the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport - Approval processes for new drugs and novel medical technologies in Australia, Painaustralia CEO Carol Bennett said there must be a better way to consult consumers throughout the regulatory process as the current processes are leaving consumers disappointed and bereft of hope.
E-News Issue #103
In this issue:
- A message from the CEO
- The Need for Meaningful Consumer Consultation
- RTPM Roll Out
- Media Coverage: Impact of Opioid Regulatory Changes Still Being Felt
- IASP Position Statement on the Use of Cannabinoids to Treat Pain
- Take Home Naloxone Campaign
- Updating the Pain Services Directory
- Annual General Meeting and Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management Meeting
- Have you renewed your Painaustralia membership?
- How can we better educate health professionals to support people living with chronic pain?
Latest Submissions
- Regulation to support Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) - from Painaustralia - March 2021 Download the submission
- Painaustralia Submission to the 2021-22 Federal Budget - Working together to address chronic pain - January 2021 Download the submission
- Painaustralia Submission to the 2020-21 Federal Budget - Supporting people with pain in these unprecedented times - August 2020 Download the submission
- Painaustralia’s Statement to the Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management on medicinal cannabis - Painaustralia November 2020 Download the statement
- FEDERAL BUDGET 2020 - 21 SUMMARY - Painaustralia October 2020 Download the summary
- The Preventive Health Strategy Submission from Painaustralia September 2020 Download the submission
- PAIN AND COVID-2019 - The perfect storm that validates the need to fast track technology advances in pain assessment for vulnerable populations and their families by Dr Jennifer Abbey, AM, Carol Bennett, CEO, Painaustralia and Philip Daffas, CEO, PainChek September 2020 Download the paper
- NICE Chronic Pain Assessment and Management Guidelines to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence London UK from Painaustralia September 2020 Download the submission
LATEST NEWS
9NEWS 18/04/2021
'I don't really want to live like this': Police officer in intense pain told there was nothing wrong
...Australia's national organisation, PainAustralia, said it is awaiting the progression of the government's new pain action plan.
Lauren Cannell is now back at work in the Tasmanian Police. (Supplied)
A spokesman for the Australian Department of Health, said the government is "committed" to helping Australians via the National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management...
The Australian Women's Weekly 04/2021
Easing chronic problem
...In some instances, the pain is unexplained. "Chronic pain has been a hidden and invisible condition for many Australians for a long time", says Carol Bennett, CEO of Painaustralia. "Previously, I think it's been very misunderstood and, like mental health, somewhat stigmatised. but I think we're having a revolution because of the sheer numbers of people affected by it."
The Australian 05/04/2021
First-line drug for pain ‘not effective’
...Carol Bennett, the chief executive officer of Pain Australia, said the findings were surprising but confirmed what was already known about effective treatment for back pain.
“But we’ve known for some time with low back pain that what we really ought to be doing is get people moving and taking a proactive approach and really that’s the best way of managing it,” Ms Bennett said...
ABC PM 05/04/2021
Paracetamol or placebo?
A Sydney University study has found the evidence for paracetamol for many painful conditions is inconclusive and for back pain ineffective. The study looked at the use of paracetamol in 44 painful conditions and found its efficacy has been established for only a handful of conditions and its benefits often modest. Painaustralia CEO, Carol Bennett provides her comments to the ABC on the potential need to shift our mindset on paracetamol as the “go-to” medication if this is the trend we continue to see in the evidence.
Channel 9 News 05/04/2021
Paracetamol revealed ineffective for most conditions
A study by University of Sydney researchers looked at the “efficacy and safety of paracetamol for pain relief” in treating 44 painful conditions including knee or hip osteoarthritis, headaches and acute low back pain. For most conditions, evidence regarding the effectiveness of paracetamol is “insufficient for drawing a firm conclusion”. While the evidence for paracetamol’s efficacy in four conditions was moderate to strong, there is strong evidence it is not effective for reducing acute low back pain. See Painaustralia’s board member Sister May-Lynne Cochrane, who has experienced lower back pain nearly 40 years, in the Channel 9 news story here.
Medical Republic 29/03/2021
Words can hurt me: how language makes things worse
...The third project, the Community Education and Awareness Program, is run by Painaustralia and aims to offer people easy access to pain management information. “This is intended to be a trusted source of quality information in one place that enables people to get informed about what’s available out there,” says Carol Bennett, CEO at Painaustralia. The program includes a range of resources and links to research studies, a discussion forum and an app where people can interact and ask questions...
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