Pain policy in Utah

Utah's official pain policy is based on a model that half the states have now adopted.

It says, in effect, that it is the responsibility of physicians to manage pain and that, as long as they follow good practice principles and keep good records, the state supports them in prescribing controlled substances to relieve suffering, says Dr. Sharon Weinstein, who oversees palliative and pain care for the University of Utah.

Utah's state statute related to pain, however, has been criticized by the Pain and Policy Group, a watchdog and research institute at the University of Wisconsin. Particularly found wanting is the statute's ambiguous language and vague references to addicts and addiction.

Three years ago, the Utah Medical Association adopted a resolution that emphasizes the obligation to relieve suffering when someone is dying. Weinstein points out, though, that most pain is not related to a terminal condition. That suffering must be alleviated, too, she says.

A companion UMA resolution opposing the "criminalization of medical practice" was also adopted. Weinstein says its goal is to help the legal system understand how complex pain management is: People react differently to the same treatment and have and can bear different levels of pain. Trial-and-error may be the only way to provide relief.