American Pain Society 4700 W. Lake Ave. The intent of the pain summit was to bring together representatives from key organizations, educational facilities, advocacy groups, regulatory entities, and government to discuss these topics, develop a consensus for a shared agenda, and form an action plan.
Many activities are already under way.
The ultimate goal is to improve access to controlled substances by patients in pain while more effectively addressing egregious violations of prescribing privileges. Given the diversity of medical school curricula in California and the growing need for adequate training in pain management and palliative care, it was important to establish forums in which medical educators could discuss the nature, benefits, and progress of their programs and share ways to enhance medical school training and continuing education in these vital areas of care. A number of organizations and facilities were represented at the pain summit. Representatives were included who could address the relevant issues from many different perspectives. Affiliated organizations selected because of their close involvement with regulatory issues included the California State Hospice Association, California Healthcare Association, and California Association of Catholic Hospitals.