Pain & Policy Studies Group (PPSG)

What is the Pain & Policy Studies Group?
The Pain & Policy Studies Group (PPSG), a research program in the University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, is committed to promoting pain relief through balanced public policy and communications. The PPSG mission is to balance international, national and state policies to ensure adequate availability of pain medications for patient care while minimizing diversion and abuse, and to support a global communications program to improve access to information about pain relief, palliative care and policy. The PPSG is interested in the interface between drug control, professional practice regulation, medical decision making, pain management and patient care. Much of their work focuses on identifying and addressing the barriers to medical use of opioid analgesics (narcotic drugs), which are essential to chronic pain management and palliative care.

PPSG is the only source of evidence-based policy information that health care professionals, legislators and regulatory members can use to guide the development of balanced pain policy in their state. 

How are the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and PPSG working together to improve the lives of people affected by cancer? 
With initial support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the PPSG developed a research methodology to evaluate federal and state policies that govern the use of pain medications in medical and pharmacy practice. Using a set of criteria based on a thoroughly-documented principle of "balance," the PPSG research method identifies laws, regulations and official board policies that have the potential to enhance or interfere with pain management. In 2000, the PPSG published the first use of this evaluation methodology, called Achieving Balance in Federal & State Pain Policy: A Guide to Evaluation. The policy evaluation was conducted again in 2003, along with a report that graded each state based on the extent that their policy was balanced, called Achieving Balance in State Pain Policy: A Progress Report Card.

Together, the LAF, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society are supporting PPSG in developing the Evaluation Guide and Progress Report Card to encourage and document policy improvement in future years. This partnership will ultimately increase the number of cancer survivors who have access to effective pain management services. 

How can I get involved?
You can help further the work of the LAF and PPSG by:

• Promoting awareness of the Evaluation Guide and Progress Report Card among local and state government officials. 
• Advocating for changes to state policies that may interfere with pain management. Visit PPSG's website at www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/states.htm to see how your state was graded and to learn what policy changes are needed to improve your grade.  Contact your local and state legislators to advocate for policy changes in areas where improvement is needed.