National Efforts

In 22 days, 3,255 signatures were collected in support of American Pain Foundation’s (APF) Acetaminophen: Educate, Do Not Regulate petition urging the Food and Drug Administration to not remove access to acetaminophen medications but to develop a public awareness and education campaign about the risks and safe use of acetaminophen and to improve the labeling of medications containing this product.

Signatures from residents of almost every state of the Union, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia were collected. On September 28, 2009, APF submitted the position statement and petition summary, which contained comments from the petition signers on how the FDA Advisory Committee’s recommendations would create barriers for people in pain.

APF would like to thank everyone who took action and signed the petition and offered their comments. We applaud the support of the entire pain community, including people living with pain, healthcare providers, family members and friends in making a difference.

To read the text of the petition and the heartfelt comments provided by members of the pain community, click here.

Read position statement with addendum submitted to the Federal docket>>

APF Leadership and Advocates Provide Testimony at FDA Advisory Committee Meeting

Don Bivens, MD, Mary Bennett, and Maggie Buckley

American Pain Foundation’s Director of Advocacy Mary Bennett, Board Member Maggie Buckley and Power Over Pain Action Network leader from Virginia, Don Bivins provided public testimony at the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Advisory Committee Meeting on September 24, 2009 to discuss and vote on the application for a reformulated oxycodone hydrochloride (OxyContin). Read Mary Bennett’s written testimony, Maggie Buckley’s written testimony and Dr. Don Bivin’s written testimony.

Members of the FDA’s Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee voted 14 to 4 at the end of the meeting to recommend approval of a new formulation of OxyContin.

Pain advocates who live with pain courageously shared their struggles with obtaining appropriate and effective pain treatment and implored the FDA to consider the voices of the millions of Americans whose lives have been restored because of opioid pain medications.

American Pain Foundation Calls for a Rational and Balanced Approach to REMS

APF, along with the Pain Care Forum, has been working diligently to ensure that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protects the rights of people with pain and takes a balanced approach when finalizing their recommended Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for prescribed opioid medications. Read the Pain Care Forum REMS task force’s recommendations that were presented to the FDA and supported by APF. APF and advocates who live with pain testified before the FDA on May 27, 2009. Read APF’s position statement on REMS.

Thanks to All who Sent Letters to FDA Urging Access to Pain Medications

American Pain Foundation would like to thank everyone who took Action and contacted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the public comment period and expressed their concerns and opinions regarding the FDA’s development of Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for certain opioid drugs. Our collective efforts and voices are making a difference! Please continue to visit our Web site for updates on critical pain issues.

Senate HELP Committee Amends National Pain Care Policy Act as Part of Health Care Reform Legislation (June 23, 2009)

CLICK HERE for more information on the National Pain Care Policy Act

APF is pleased to report that the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee members voted unanimously to include the National Pain Care Policy Act 2009 (S660) as an amendment to the national health care reform bill. Over 300 amendments were proposed for addition to the health care reform bill and 46 amendments, including S660, were accepted.

We are one step closer in having the voices of the millions who struggle with pain heard by the President of the United States! We applaud Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) for introducing S660 and all of their colleagues in the HELP Committee for recognizing the need for improving pain care and pain management in the U.S.

More information on the National Pain Care Policy Act >>

Last Updated: 09/29/09