New Offerings Provide Physicians with Resources for Safe, Appropriate Pain Management
RARITAN, N.J., Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- To assist healthcare professionals in managing their patients’ pain, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (JPI) today launched several new resources and tools on PrescribeResponsibly.com, an online program designed to support appropriate and responsible treatment of pain. Introduced in early 2010, PrescribeResponsibly.com and its many educational materials have been viewed by thousands of physicians and pharmacists, both via its website and at medical conferences.
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“Millions of adult Americans suffer with acute or chronic pain. Determining how to treat pain poses a challenge to both physicians and patients,” said Steven Passik, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.* “It is important to ensure that issues often associated with opioid pain medicines, including abuse, addiction, misuse and diversion, do not prevent patients who need relief from having access to appropriate pain treatment. The tools and content offered on PrescribeResponsibly.com may help physicians better understand how to strike the challenging balance between safeguarding patients and ensuring they have the care they need.”
Clinical materials newly added to the website include a variety of pain and risk assessments intended to help physicians evaluate pain, manage adverse events, identify aberrant drug-related behaviors, monitor long-term therapy, facilitate patient education and communication, and document treatment progress when using opioid therapies. Also featured is general education content authored by experts related to safe and responsible opioid prescribing and pain management.
“Pain medications play an important role in the treatment of pain when used correctly,” said Paul Chang, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “We want to make sure we equip physicians with the appropriate resources and tools to help them safely and effectively use opioids in their practice so that patients are neither undertreated nor unnecessarily exposed to risk.”
PrescribeResponsibly.com was developed in consultation with expert leaders in pain management, psychology, and addiction medicine. The written content covers a range of topics related to the appropriate prescribing of opioid analgesics and offers case studies to help healthcare professionals. The website is designed both to help physicians ensure that patients suffering from chronic pain have access to necessary treatment, and to address knowledge gaps around pain medication prescribing practices, to reduce the chances of misuse and abuse.
About pain
Pain is the most common reason people seek medical attention. Failure to treat acute pain promptly and appropriately at the time of injury, during initial medical and surgical care, and at the time of transition to community-based care, can contribute to the development of chronic pain syndromes. An estimated 42.6 million Americans age 20 and over suffer from chronic pain, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Pain Foundation (APF). Chronic pain is the most common cause of long-term disability. Despite the number of people who experience pain, it is often undertreated.
About PrescribeResponsibly.com
PrescribeResponsibly.com is a free online resource sponsored by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. It features content addressing the concerns of healthcare professionals about the appropriate and responsible prescribing of opioid pain therapies. It is not meant to substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician or other healthcare professional relative to diagnostic and treatment options of a specific patient’s medical condition.
About Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
As a member of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is dedicated to addressing and solving some of the most important unmet medical needs of our time. Driven by our commitment to patients, we work together to bring innovative ideas, products, services and solutions to individuals with serious conditions, and to physicians throughout the world.
For more information about Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or its products visit us at www.janssenpharmaceuticalsinc.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JanssenUS.
*Dr. Passik is a consultant to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and received compensation for his prior contributions to PrescribeResponsibly.com.
SOURCE Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
