Teva Launches PainMatters.com to Support Responsible Pain Management

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., today announced the launch of PainMatters.com, a new resource designed to help healthcare professionals and people affected by pain navigate the complex pain care landscape. Pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined and while prescription pain medications are an important component of pain management, the reality is these products are prone to abuse and misuse. A new survey conducted on behalf of Teva in collaboration with the American Academy of Pain Management and U.S. Pain Foundation broadly found:

• Healthcare professionals and people affected by pain recognize their personal responsibility in addressing prescription drug abuse;
• Some healthcare professionals and people affected by pain are uncomfortable talking with each other about the issue;
• They also agree information and resources are critical in helping address prescription drug abuse.

“Chronic pain and prescription drug abuse are both significant health issues impacting our society. However, the stigma surrounding both of these can make them very difficult to talk about,” said Bob Twillman, PhD, executive director of the American Academy of Pain Management. “I hope the survey results and resources on PainMatters.com help facilitate important conversations between healthcare professionals and people affected by pain.”

The survey of 1,100 healthcare professionals treating chronic pain in the U.S. and 1,044 adult patients with chronic pain helps provide insight into some of the complex challenges in the treatment of pain:

• More than half of healthcare professionals (59 percent) and 40 percent of patients felt they should take personal responsibility for addressing problems of opioid abuse.
• However, nearly one-third (31 percent) of healthcare professionals said they sometimes feel uncomfortable talking with their patients about prescription drug abuse and 40 percent feel discussions of abuse may damage their relationships with patients.
• Further, nearly a third of patients (29 percent) worry that asking about abuse would suggest they have a problem and 25 percent worry their doctor will stop prescribing medication if they ask too many questions.
• Three-quarters of patients and 71 percent of healthcare professionals believe that education is one of the best ways to help them deal with opioid abuse.

“It’s important to note that the person prescribed the medication isn’t necessarily the only one at risk for abuse and misuse. In fact, more than three out of four people who misuse prescription pain medications do so by using medication prescribed to someone else,” said Paul Gileno, President and Founder of the U.S. Pain Foundation. “Resources like PainMatters.com are needed to help inform healthcare professionals and people affected by pain on the appropriate use, storage and disposal of prescription pain medications.”

PainMatters.com provides healthcare professionals information and resources on responsible pain management. It is also a place where people affected by pain can learn how to take an active role in managing their condition. PainMatters.com also provides information on abuse-deterrence technologies – including a video on the science behind these technologies. According to the survey, two-thirds of healthcare professionals (68 percent) are interested in learning more about how abuse-deterrence technologies work and many (82 percent) feel a strong responsibility to educate patients about abuse-deterrent formulations.

“We hope Pain Matters helps healthcare professionals and people affected by pain talk more comfortably about issues related to chronic pain and potential prescription drug abuse,” said John Hassler, Vice President and General Manager, Teva CNS. “Pain Matters is an example of our commitment to advancing responsible pain management that meets the needs of healthcare professionals and people affected by pain.”

Teva is also partnering with leading advocacy and professional organizations to bring Pain Matters directly to those who need information and resources through screenings of the “Pain Matters” documentary, produced by the Discovery Channel, in local communities as well as educational programming on abuse deterrence at medical meetings. Financial support, clinical input and other expertise for the Pain Matters documentary were provided by Teva Pharmaceuticals.

Visit PainMatters.com for information and resources for healthcare professionals and people affected by pain.

ABOUT THE SURVEY

Healthcare professional and patient surveys were conducted separately. The healthcare professional survey was fielded in January and February 2015 among a sample of 1,100 prescribing healthcare professionals treating chronic pain in the U.S., including 800 M.D.s/D.O.s (500 primary care physicians, 300 pain management specialists) and 300 Advance Practice Nurses/Physician Assistants (150 of each, with 50 pain management specialists). Healthcare professionals had to spend at least 80 percent of their time in direct patient care and have authority to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances in the state where they primarily practice. Non-specialists had to see or treat at least five chronic pain patients per month and specialists had to see or treat at least 10 chronic pain patients per month.

SURVEY PARTNERS

The American Academy of Pain Management

The American Academy of Pain Management is the medical specialty society representing physicians practicing in the field of pain medicine. The mission of the American Academy of Pain Management is to improve the lives of people with pain by advancing a person centered, integrative model of pain care through evidence-guided education, credentialing, and advocacy.

The U.S. Pain Foundation

The U.S. Pain Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving those who live with pain conditions and their care providers. It is the mission of the organization to connect, inform, empower and advocate for the pain community. The U.S. Pain Foundation helps those who live with pain and their care providers find resources and inspiration. The U.S. Pain Foundation offers educational programs, support groups, pain walks, and many other resources for those living with pain.

About Teva North America Specialty Medicines

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd is a leading global pharmaceutical company that delivers high-quality, patient-centric healthcare solutions to millions of patients every day. In addition to being the world’s largest generic medicines producer, Teva has world-leading positions in multiple specialty medicines therapeutic areas. In North America, Teva’s Specialty Medicines business focuses on innovative treatments for disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), including pain, and respiratory diseases, as well as having a strong presence in oncology, women’s health and select, US-only brands. Our focus is on creating new ways of addressing unmet patient needs, by combining drug development capabilities with devices, patient services and technologies. For more information, visit www.tevausa.com.