National Grange hosts webinar about supporting patient access to nonopioid pain medicines

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Grange hosted a webinar about supporting patients’ access to nonopioid medicines through state legislation and policies. The event featured three speakers: Christine E. Hamp, President of the National Grange; Dr. Robert Twillman, a pain management psychologist on the board of the American Chronic Pain Association; and Abby Trotter, Executive Director at Life Science Tennessee.

>

Hamp opened the webinar by discussing opioid misuse and abuse and its impact on rural communities. As new nonopioid pain medications become available, she emphasized the National Grange’s commitment to supporting policies and legislation that improve access and affordability of pain treatment options that do not carry potential addiction consequences.

Dr. Twillman explained how nonopioid pain medications can bridge the gap between simple nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids for moderate-to-severe acute pain. But pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and health insurance companies could deter patients’ ability to benefit from this breakthrough, especially hurting rural communities.

“Pain can vary from time to time, and what’s needed to treat it can vary also from time to time,” said Dr. Twillman. “We know that pain, especially chronic types of pain – the pain that people have every day for sometimes years on end – is really complex. It can have lots of different causes, and oftentimes, people who have the same cause can have different experiences of the pain.”

“Policy efforts have… included recommendations that we shift our treatment to non-opioid medications and to other kinds of treatments. But, unfortunately, the policy that supports improving access to those alternatives has not kept pace. And increasingly, what we’re finding is the people who need pain treatment can’t access the opioids, and they also can’t access the alternatives that are being recommended instead,” said Twillman.

Trotter focused on policies to address these barriers – specifically focusing on what states are doing in regards to pain parity legislation, which would require entities in each state to not disadvantage nonopioids when filling prescriptions for pain management, among other provisions. Additionally, she advocated for greater innovation in the treatment of pain.

“State policymakers and agencies are very familiar with the opioid epidemic. And we have many direct personal experiences with opioid use disorder,” said Trotter. “And unfortunately, the data shows that more needs to be done… Opioid overdoses were particularly high during the COVID-19 pandemic, placing them among the leading causes of death in 2020. In 2021, more Americans died of opioid overdose than any year in record history.”

“The reality is that current insurance coverage and reimbursement actually incentivizes the use of opioids as a first-line treatment while potentially placing a novel non-opioid pain management option at a disadvantage for prescribers,” Trotter added. This led Life Science Tennessee to work with legislators to create the Tennessee Pain Parity Legislation (H.B. 2903) which was approved unanimously by the Tennessee House of Representatives and Senate and signed into law by Governor Bill Lee on April 22, 2024.

The webinar concluded with an audience Q&A, and participants discussed questions and concerns about the future of pain medications. All emphasized the need for advocates, organizations, and other stakeholders in the pain management landscape to support state bills that will help ensure timely, equitable access to non-addictive and affordable nonopioid medications.

About the National Grange

Founded in 1867, the National Grange is a community-based national organization that provides members with opportunities to lead, learn, and make a difference through service, grassroots legislative advocacy, and educational programs.