Political Quotes

“Pain is our Nation's silent public health crisis. Pain is often left untreated or under-treated, especially among older patients, minorities and children. Forty to 50 percent of dying patients experience moderate to severe pain at least half of the time in the last days of their lives. A Brown University study published in last month's Journal of the American Medical Association found that 40 percent of nursing home patients nationwide with acute or chronic pain are not getting treatment that brings them relief. Thousand of Americans die in pain every year, and thousands live in chronic pain. What is truly tragic for these patients is that the medical technology and know-how exist to make them more comfortable. What does not exist is a medical system that supports clinicians trying to address these issues or a system to support patients and families as they try to find help for pain. The primary goal of the Conquering Pain Act, a bipartisan bill that I am introducing today with Senators Smith, Rockefeller, and Breaux is to create a public health framework with on which effective pain management policies can be developed.”