Part ofopioid crisis →

FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Senate Hearing on Managing Chronic Pain During the Opioid Crisis

Original title: MANAGING PAIN DURING THE OPIOID CRISIS

January 1, 2021

opioid crisis chronic pain management healthcare access public health policy

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing examines how federal regulations and medical guidelines intended to curb opioid abuse impact the ability of millions of Americans with chronic pain to access prescribed medication.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Chronic pain patients

Patients face potential changes in the availability and accessibility of pain management treatments.

Healthcare providers

Providers must navigate evolving guidelines for prescribing pain medication.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2021.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a 2019 U.S. Senate committee hearing focused on the challenges of balancing opioid addiction prevention with the need for effective pain management for patients with chronic conditions. Experts and lawmakers discussed how current policies affect patient access to necessary pain medication.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on February 12, 2019, before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Approximately 100 million Americans live with some form of pain, according to a 2011 report.
Approximately 25 million Americans suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain.
The committee heard testimony from experts in pain management, anesthesiology, pharmacy, and medical insurance.
The hearing addressed the difficulty patients face in accessing pain medication due to policies aimed at curbing the opioid crisis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was this hearing held?

To examine the challenges of managing chronic pain while addressing the national opioid crisis.

Who testified at the hearing?

Experts from the U.S. Pain Foundation, Mayo Clinic, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

Why It Matters

The hearing examines how federal regulations and medical guidelines intended to curb opioid abuse impact the ability of millions of Americans with chronic pain to access prescribed medication.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Balancing Access and Safety

The hearing highlights a clear policy tension between restricting opioid supply to prevent addiction and maintaining access for legitimate chronic pain patients.

U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Connected Entities

personAndrew Coop“Witness, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy”Map →

personHalena Gazelka“Witness, Mayo Clinic”Map →

personCindy Steinberg“Witness, U.S. Pain Foundation”Map →

personLamar Alexander“Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions”Map →

personAnuradha Rao-Patel“Witness, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina”Map →

personPatty Murray“Ranking Member of the Committee”Map →

organizationNational Academy of Medicine“Source of 2011 report on pain statistics”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance75
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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