The National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management

The Australian Government and Minister Greg Hunt funded and supported the development of the first ever National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management (Action Plan) in May 2018. The year of exhaustive consultation and development that followed have now culminated with the final release of the Action Plan that sets out the key priority actions to improve access to, and knowledge of best practice pain management, in the next three years.

The main Action plan is supported by a compendium of accompanying documents that include:

• The Evidence Base that outlines the need for Action as pain management finds itself at the intersection of key global public health challenges of the 21st century including the safe and effective use of medications (particularly opioids) and the urgent need to stem the rise of chronic conditions.
• A consultation summary that comprehensively details how the pain management sector and stakeholders were engaged through the development of the Action Plan. The consultations all confirmed the need for greater awareness of pain and pain management, more timely access to consumer-centred interdisciplinary services and research to underpin greater knowledge of pain.
• A Stocktake of existing activities that provides a base of current initiatives and programs that are occurring at a national or state level.

The Action Plan builds on the strong foundation and advocacy of Australia’s pain sector which developed the first National Pain Strategy in 2010 to provide a blueprint for best practice pain management.

With the Deloitte Access Economics Cost of Pain report released by Minister Hunt in April this year, and the subsequent release of the Action Plan, Governments and decisionmakers now have the evidence that outlines the seriousness of the pain burden in Australia as well as a clear pathway and case for investment and support to prevent and manage chronic pain conditions.

The National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management can be accessed here.

In this article CEO Carol Bennett sheds light on the new Action Plan, and why it is our best bet to deliver patient centred pain management.

Read the blog here