In The Face of Pain® Offers New Tools and Resources to Patients, Caregivers and Healthcare Professionals Advocating for Better Pain Care

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pain can affect anyone regardless of gender, race or economic status, however, some people have difficulty getting adequate pain care. Women, certain ethnic groups, the elderly and the uninsured are more likely to be denied appropriate pain treatment.(1),(2) In the Face of Pain®, an online resource provided by Purdue Pharma L.P. for pain management advocacy, offers new tools and information to help people with pain, their caregivers and healthcare professionals become better informed and engaged partners in pain care.

According to a recent report from the Institute of Medicine, over 100 million adults in the United States suffer from common chronic pain conditions.(3)  The report states that the annual cost of chronic pain in the U.S. is estimated to be $560-635 billion, including healthcare expenses and lost productivity.(3)

After an injury in 1999, Carol Rains developed a nerve condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.  Instead of the pain getting better after her injury healed, it got steadily worse over time, leaving her to wonder how she could live with the unrelenting pain. "I educated myself about my condition. I searched until I found a doctor knowledgeable and willing to treat me, and with help and support from my family and friends, I found that you can live a life in spite of chronic pain," says Carol. "I have extensively used the In the Face of Pain website for pain-related information, current statistics, and advocacy tools to develop a personalized plan to advocate for myself and others suffering with pain. Whether you are a seasoned healthcare professional or someone who just wants to help yourself or a loved one, In the Face of Pain is a great place to go for knowledge, support and inspiration."

In The Face of Pain is designed to empower health care professionals, people with pain, caregivers, and other concerned individuals to advocate for better pain care.  Additionally, the site helps pain management advocates learn to effectively share their experiences with others to help raise awareness of important pain management issues.

"People who suffer from pain and their loved ones need to speak with their healthcare professional and take an active role in managing their pain," said Pamela Bennett, BSN, R.N., Executive Director of Healthcare Alliance Development for Purdue Pharma. "Pain can and should be treated. We all have a right to proper medical care."

Key features of the site include:

• Basics of Advocacy: Step-by-step guidance on how to effectively share messages about the rights of people in pain in your community or with the media, elected officials, and professional organizations.  Visitors can also learn tips and tools, and be inspired to be their own best advocate, by watching the In the Face of Pain Self-Advocacy Video.
• Tools for Change: Dozens of fact sheets, filled with data and statistics about condition-specific and population-based pain, assist advocates in their advocacy efforts. Examples of this up-to-date information includes:  Amputee-Phantom Limb Pain, Cancer Pain, Diabetic Neuropathy Pain, Women and Pain, Ethnicity and Pain, and Caregivers and Pain.
• News You Can Use: Stay current with information and resources designed to support pain advocacy efforts. Sign up for Purdue's monthly Pain Advocacy Community e-Newsletter, see highlights from third party organizations pain awareness and advocacy efforts, and read about timely pain management news.
• Information on Pain Research: Find out how, as a health care professional, a person suffering with pain or a concerned individual, one can get involved in pain research, understand the basics of clinical trials, and find trials relevant to a specific disease or condition.
• Social Media Guides: Introduction to social media applications, such as Facebook®, walks users through the process of setting up, using and maintaining these communication vehicles. Topics include "An Overview of Social Media," "Advocacy in Social Media," and "Facebook 101."
• Voices of Hope: More than 80 pain advocates share inspirational quotes and their candid thoughts about how pain has affected their lives and motivated them to act in many diverse ways.
• Resource Links: Hundreds of patient advocate, professional pain management and other pain-related organization websites in "Resource" sections throughout the website serve to connect site visitors with larger pain advocacy community efforts.

ABOUT PURDUE PHARMA L.P.

Purdue Pharma L.P. and its associated U.S. companies are privately-held pharmaceutical companies known for pioneering research on persistent pain. Headquartered in Stamford, CT, Purdue Pharma is engaged in the research, development, production, and distribution of both prescription and over-the-counter medicines and hospital products. Additional information about Purdue can be found at www.purduepharma.com.

(1) Gagliese, Lucia. "Pain and Aging: The Emergence of a New Subfield of Pain Research." Journal of Pain 10 (2009): 343-53.

(2) Hoffmann, Diane. "The girl who cried pain: a bias against women in the treatment of pain." Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. v Green, Carmen R. "The Unequal Burden of Pain: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Pain." Pain Medicine 4 (2003): 277-94.

(3) IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press

SOURCE Purdue Pharma L.P.