Montana Pain Initiative

The Problem:

Untreated and under-treated pain is a serious public health problem in Montana and the United States, resulting in substantial physical, personal and social costs. Though pain management is fundamental to medical practice, it is complex, depending upon multiple factors, including patient self-report; provider assessment and practice; availability of treatment options and referral networks; and institutional, state, and federal policies. Nationally 76.5 million people suffer from persistent pain. Medically underserved populations endure an even higher pain burden. Pain is the most common reason Americans access the healthcare system. The annual cost of chronic pain in the United States , including healthcare expenses, lost income, and lost productivity, is estimated to be $100 billion. Local statistics are difficult to obtain, but 62% of Montana respondents in a convenience sample study of 329 participants indicated they experienced pain.

Montana’s Solutions

The American Cancer Society through its Montana Pain Initiative Project (MTPI) is working to improve public policy and reduce barriers to appropriate pain management; improve provider practice to ensure effective pain assessment and management; work with law makers to reduce the incidence of addiction and diversion while keeping patient care as the primary focus; and, conduct public engagement and patient advocacy to improve knowledge of pain management issues.

The MTPI will benefit thousands of Montanans with chronic pain, will improve provider practice, and assist in the process of creating balanced policies that ensure prescription pain medications are available to patients who need them, but kept away from those who intend to misuse them.

The primary focus will be Montana, but we will reach out to
Idaho, Washington, and Oregon to attend our events. Additionally, the MTPI is being looked at nationally as a model for how to move from a Task Force whose purpose is to assess barriers, into a project that actually addresses those barriers. Thus, others around the nation will also benefit from MTPI efforts.