(1) CHRONIC PAIN.—The term ‘‘chronic pain’’
means a pain state that is persistent and in which
the cause of the pain cannot be removed or other-
wise treated. Such term includes pain that may be
associated with long-term incurable or intractable
medical conditions or disease.
(2) DRUG THERAPY MANAGEMENT SERVICES.—
The term ‘‘drug therapy management services’’
means consultations with a physician concerning a
patient which results in the physician—
(A) changing the drug regimen of the pa-
tient to avoid an adverse drug interaction with
another drug or disease state;
(B) changing an inappropriate drug dosage
or dosage form with respect to the patient;
(C) discontinuing an unnecessary or harm-
ful medication with respect to the patient;
(D) initiating drug therapy for a medical
condition of the patient; or
(E) consulting with the patient or a care-
giver in a manner that results in a significant
improvement in drug regimen compliance.
Such term includes services provided by a physician,
pharmacist, or other health care professional who is
legally authorized to furnish such services under the
law of the State in which such services are fur-
nished.
(3) END OF LIFE CARE.—The term ‘‘end of life
care’’ means a range of services, including hospice
care, provided to a patient, in the final stages of his
or her life, who is suffering from 1 or more condi-
tions for which treatment toward a cure or reason-
able improvement is not possible, and whose focus of
care is palliative rather than curative.
(4) FAMILY
SUPPORT
NETWORK.—The term
‘‘family support network’’ means an association of 2
or more individuals or entities in a collaborative ef-
fort to develop multi-disciplinary integrated patient
care approaches that involve medical staff and ancil-
lary services to provide support to chronic pain pa-
tients and patients at the end of life and their care-
givers across a broad range of settings in which pain
management might be delivered.
(5) HOSPICE.—The term ‘‘hospice care’’ has
the meaning given such term in section 1861(dd)(1)
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(dd)(1)).
(6) PAIN AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT.—The
term ‘‘pain and symptom management’’ means serv-
ices provided to relieve physical or psychological pain
or suffering, including any 1 or more of the fol-
lowing physical complaints—
(A) weakness and fatigue;
(B) shortness of breath;
(C) nausea and vomiting;
(D) diminished appetite;
(E) wasting of muscle mass;
(F) difficulty in swallowing;
(G) bowel problems;
(H) dry mouth;
(I) failure of lymph drainage resulting in
tissue swelling;
(J) confusion;
(K) dementia;
(L) anxiety; and
(M) depression.
(7) PALLIATIVE
CARE.—The term ‘‘palliative
care’’ means the total care of patients whose disease
is not responsive to curative treatment, the goal of
which is to provide the best quality of life for such
patients and their families. Such care—
(A) may include the control of pain and of
other symptoms, including psychological, social
and spiritual problems;
(B) affirms life and regards dying as a
normal process;
(C) provides relief from pain and other dis-
tressing symptoms;
(D) integrates the psychological and spir-
itual aspects of patient care;
(E) offers a support system to help pa-
tients live as actively as possible until death;
and
(F) offers a support system to help the
family cope during the patient’s illness and in
their own bereavement.
(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
TITLE 
I—EMERGENCY 
RE-
SPONSE 
TO 
THE 
PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS OF PAIN
SEC. 101. GUIDELINES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PAIN.
(a) DEVELOPMENT OF WEBSITE.—Not later than 2
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary, acting through the Agency for Health Care Policy
Research, shall develop and maintain an Internet website
to provide information to individuals, health care practi-
tioners, and health facilities concerning evidence-based
practice guidelines developed for the treatment of pain.
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The website established under
subsection (a) shall—
(1) be designed to be quickly referenced by
health care practitioners; and
(2) provide for the updating of guidelines as
scientific data warrants.
(c) PROVIDER ACCESS TO GUIDELINES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In establishing the website
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that
health care facilities have made the website known
to health care practitioners and that the website is
easily available to all health care personnel providing
care or services at a health care facility.
(2) USE OF CERTAIN EQUIPMENT.—In making
the information described in paragraph (1) available
to health care personnel, the facility involved shall
ensure that such personnel have access to the
website through the computer equipment of the facil-
ity and shall carry out efforts to inform personnel at
the facility of the location of such equipment.
(3) RURAL AREAS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—A health care facility,
particularly a facility located in a rural or un-
derserved area, without access to the Internet
shall provide an alternative means of providing
practice guideline information to health care
personnel.
(B) ALTERNATIVE MEANS.—The Secretary
shall determine appropriate alternative means
by which a health care facility may make avail-
able practice guideline information on a 24-hour
basis, 7 days a week if the facility does not
have Internet access. The criteria for adopting
such alternative means should be clear in per-
mitting facilities to develop alternative means
without placing a significant financial burden
on the facility and in permitting flexibility for
facilities to develop alternative means of making
guidelines available. Such criteria shall be pub-
lished in the Federal Register.
SEC. 102. PATIENT EXPECTATIONS TO HAVE PAIN AND
SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The administrator of each of the
programs described in subsection (b) shall ensure that, as
part of any informational materials provided to individuals
under such programs, such materials shall include infor-
mation, where relevant, to inform such individuals that
they should expect to have their pain managed, an addi-
tion to other symptom management, when receiving bene-
fits under such program.