Chronic pain placing ‘significant economic burden’ on country

CHRONIC pain is a major health issue and is placing a “significant economic burden” on the country with up to 36% of adults suffering, a report has said.

The report, entitled Pain Proposal, says chronic pain is estimated to cost the economy as much as €2.5 billion per annum and calls for it to be afforded the same resources as other major conditions in order to deliver cost savings and better patient outcomes.

Recent cost studies show the average cost of chronic pain exceeds €6,000 per patient annually.

However, this figure is conservative as costs associated with those with severe pain are significantly higher, and according to the report, recent analysis suggests that the cost of treating chronic pain here might even be double this figure.

The report also highlights the impact chronic pain has on individuals, their work prospects and relationships:

lMore than a third (38%) of those with chronic pain had to wait over a year to receive a diagnosis — and an average of two years to be referred to a pain management centre.

l35% say their pain is not adequately managed.

l53% of people say their employment status is directly affected by their chronic pain, and on average, 29% of people with chronic pain are unable to work.

Chairperson of Chronic Pain Ireland Michael Bohill and a sufferer said it would be a typical average of two years from the first GP visit to when a patient is referred to a pain centre.

And he said although Irish pain centres offer excellent management, for those living in rural locations the physical journey to a centre can be long and difficult. “It’s near impossible at times,” Mr Bohill said. “For some people it can be two hours or more to reach a pain clinic.”

There are five pain clinics located in public hospitals in Dublin (St James’s, Adelaide & Meath/AMNCH, St Vincent’s, Mater, Beaumont) with only two offering pain management programs.

Cork has two clinics in the Mercy University Hospital and Cork University Hospital. Additional pain medicine facilities are located in Galway, Limerick and Waterford, with a part-time pain clinic in Sligo.

Dr Liam Conroy, director of the department of Pain Medicine at Cork’s Mercy University Hospital, said patients are most commonly referred to pain medicine clinics by their GPs.

“Once patients are in the system, treatment is good.

“The difficulty is getting that first access,” Dr Conroy said.