THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY MANN, SOLOBAY, BELFANTI, BEYER, BRENNAN, CREIGHTON, GEIST, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARRIS, KOTIK, KULA, MAHONEY, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PHILLIPS, READSHAW, SAYLOR, SIPTROTH, VULAKOVICH AND WHEATLEY, MARCH 6, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MARCH 6, 2009  

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Directing the Joint State Government Commission to create a pain

task force and a pain task force advisory committee to

promote professional and public education and awareness and

to improve the quality of care for the residents of this

Commonwealth who are suffering from pain.

WHEREAS, Pain can be classified as acute pain, such as pain

following injury, acute medical illness or surgery, chronic

pain, including, but not limited to, chronic low-back pain,

fibromyalgia, headache and chronic illness, such as lupus or

multiple sclerosis, cancer-related pain and pain in patients

with life-limiting illness; and

WHEREAS, Unrelieved acute pain increases suffering, can slow

recovery and is associated with an increased risk of

complications, including death; and

WHEREAS, Unrelieved acute pain is common, with up to 40% of

postoperative patients reporting inadequate pain relief; and

WHEREAS, As many as 15% to 25% of adults outside of hospitals

and other medical settings suffer from chronic pain at any given

time, a figure that increases to 50% in adults 65 years of age

and older; and

WHEREAS, Chronic pain is associated with significant

suffering, including compromise of physical and psychosocial

functioning, such as depression and anxiety; and

WHEREAS, Chronic pain leads to lost or compromised workdays

that equate to an estimated $50 to $70 billion in the United

States per year; and

WHEREAS, Up to 70% of people who have cancer suffer from pain

caused by the disease or its treatment; and

WHEREAS, People who have advanced cancer describe their pain

as moderate to severe 40% to 50% of the time and as very severe

25% to 30% of the time; and

WHEREAS, There are now several published clinical practice

guidelines regarding the diagnosis and treatment of acute,

chronic and cancer-related pain and pain associated with life-

limiting illness, and the Congress of the United States declared

2001-2010 as the "Decade of Pain Control and Research"; and

WHEREAS, In spite of the availability of published treatment

guidelines, many residents of this Commonwealth continue to

suffer from poorly controlled pain due to a variety of reasons;

therefore be it

RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly

direct the Joint State Government Commission to create a pain

task force consisting of two members appointed by the President

pro tempore of the Senate, two members appointed by the Minority

Leader of the Senate, two members appointed by the Speaker of

the House of Representatives and two members appointed by the

Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; and be it

further

 RESOLVED, That the task force create an advisory committee

to assist in accomplishing its responsibilities and consisting

of members with knowledge and expertise regarding pain research,

prevention, treatment, educational programs and consumer needs;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the committee be composed of one

representative from and designated by the Department of Health,

the Office of Attorney General, the Pennsylvania Medical

Society, the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, the

American College of Physicians, the Pennsylvania Society of

Oncology and Hematology, the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse

Practitioners, the Pennsylvania Society of Anesthesiologists,

Inc., the American Society for Pain Management Nursing, the

Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, the Pennsylvania

Psychiatric Society, the American Cancer Society, the

Pennsylvania Cancer Pain Initiative, the Arthritis Foundation,

The Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania, the National Multiple

Sclerosis Society, the American Pain Society, the American Pain

Foundation, the Pennsylvania Homecare Association, the

Pennsylvania Chiropractic Association or the Chiropractic

Fellowship of Pennsylvania, the Association for Professional

Acupuncture in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Pain Coalition,

one representative of the Pennsylvania rehabilitation industry

and two representatives of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical

industries; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force present to the General Assembly

a report evaluating the barriers to good pain care in this

Commonwealth and make suggestions for actions to improve pain

care within this Commonwealth; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force study the feasibility of

developing and implementing a comprehensive Statewide public

education program on pain management to:

(1)  Promote public awareness regarding proper pain

management.

(2)  Promote understanding of the importance of early

diagnosis and proper treatment and management.

(3)  Improve the delivery of appropriate information,

programs and services and access to the most effective

treatments for pain.

(4)  Encourage research into the nature, cause and

treatment of pain; 

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force, in accomplishing its missions,

take into account guidelines that have been promulgated by

nationally recognized organizations that deal with pain; and be

it further

RESOLVED, That the task force recommend an appropriate means

of disseminating information to the professional community and

the general public; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force recommend sources of funds to

carry out its recommendations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force report its findings directly to

the General Assembly no later than one year after the adoption

of this resolution.