A message from the CEO

Welcome to the first newsletter for 2021 on our new look 'soft launched' website!  We hope you like the new look and feel of the site as we work towards creating a hub of evidence based information for chronic pain in Australia.   Of course the site is still evolving and we want to hear your feedback and thoughts on how we can improve it further.

Another exciting development at Painaustralia is a new project to further upgrade our National Pain Services Directory. Providing consumers and health professionals with accurate and up-to-date information will play a valuable role in ensuring that people living with pain find the best pain management options.

We recently submitted our Budget submission for 2021–22, highlighting three key priority areas to provide immediate, practical and long-term benefits for people who live with chronic pain. A quick summary of our budget submission is provided in this newsletter, and you can read our full submission on the website here.

Since last year, we have also submitted responses to the TGA for the Potential Reforms to the Medicinal Cannabis Manufacturing, Labelling and Packaging Requirements Consultation Paper and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for their draft Australian Clinical Practice Guideline for the diagnosis and management of Endometriosis.

It was nice to see our Pain Champion, Tara Moss, interviewed about her pain journey. She said of her experience, “I just want to keep growing and learning.  I’m on my own journey”. It is the richness of consumer stories that can influence and drive improvements in responses. The interview can be found here. 

Critical to pain management in this country will be the response from states and territories to the National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management (National Action Plan) due early this year. In this issue of enews, our guest piece by Maria Hudspith and and Fiona Campbell, Co-Chair of the Canadian Pain Task Force, outlines an ambitious plan for Canada in tackling chronic pain. It’s good to see chronic pain finally on the national health agenda in both Australia and Canada. Translating this activity and intent into real outcomes for consumers will be the measure of success.

We look forward to working with our members for what promises to be a busy and productive year ahead as well as a possible Federal Election. 

Carol Bennett, Painaustralia CEO

Tara Moss, Best Selling Author - Pain Champion of Painaustralia,  interviewed about her pain journey