Undertreatment of Pain, a Case Study

A friend recently required rotator cuff surgery. In preparing for surgery she went to a pain specialist for advice. This advice was implemented as doctor's orders. The only reason she received her pain medications as ordered, however, was because she had friends and family who stayed in the hospital with her around the clock. Otherwise her pain medication would never have been administered in a timely manner. The nurses' stated policy, which violated the doctor's orders, was that they would administer the pain medications only when the pain was pronounced. The nurses would not administer pain medication until the family member or friend became very assertive.

In the words of Will Rowe, CEO of the American Pain Foundation: "Alleviating pain has always been a basic principle of medicine and a moral obligation in a humane and civilized society. It is a travesty that in this day and age, pain remains woefully undertreated. The growing societal misconceptions and fears surrounding pain management that are only fueled by celebrity deaths along with unnecessarily restrictive regulation are creating mountainous barriers to access to care for millions of people in pain. The epidemic of untreated or undertreated pain must come to a halt. The suffering and toll untreated pain has on our own families and our nation is irrefutable and will continue to skyrocket unless members of the medical community, regulators, legislators and nonprofit and private sector parties join forces to strategically conquer pain together. American Pain Foundation is reaching out to all stakeholders and asking for their commitment."

See the article below for APF's definition of access to pain care and the actions it sees as mandatory.

American Pain Foundation Calls On Health Care Providers, Regulators And Policy Makers To Abolish The Undertreatment Of Pain