PALLIATIVE Care Australia (PCA) and Painaustralia came together at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday, to highlight the urgent need for timely pain assessment and management, and to reinforce the importance of continued access to essential pain relief medicines for people receiving palliative care.
The event was hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Palliative Care, with policymakers, clinicians and advocates joining forces to advance compassionate, evidence-based care for all Australians.
PCA launched its strategic plan for 2026-2029 at the event, while Painaustralia showcased a new My Pain assessment Communication Tool (MPaCT) in development, highlighting national efforts to improve the experience of people living with pain and those receiving palliative care.
PCA CEO Camilla Rowland said that quality pain management is fundamental to the quality of life of people receiving palliative care, but that access to medicines is an ongoing challenge.
Amid shortages of critical palliative care medicines, PCA, Painaustralia and five other organisations released an 11-point plan to resolve the shortages in Nov 2024 (PD 19 Feb).
"PCA congratulates the government on passing legislation to lower patient out-of-pocket costs for medicines on the PBS," Rowland said.
"We encourage the Government to go further by making medicines prescribed for palliative care free to consumers," she continued.
"The last months and weeks of life are when healthcare costs really add up.
"The 11-point plan has more ideas to ensure every Australian can receive timely, compassionate care and relief from pain at the end of life," Rowland said.
Painaustralia CEO Monika Boogs said effective pain management is fundamental to maintaining dignity and quality of life for people receiving palliative care, yet pain can be incredibly difficult to describe or measure, especially for people in palliative care, older Australians, people who are non-verbal, "or anyone whose voice may not always be heard".
"That's why patients, working in partnership with Painaustralia and Dragon Claw Charity, developed MPaCT, an innovative resource to help them express what their pain feels like, how it affects their daily lives and help them receive the support they need," she said. KB
Pictured: Painaustralia Chair Simon Corbell, PCA CEO Camilla Rowland, Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler, PCA Chair Dr Peter Allcroft, and Painaustralia CEO Monika Boogs.
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