A NEW joint campaign is set to offer self-management advice and information to people living with chronic pain.
The campaign aims to encourage people with pain to ask for advice from their pharmacist, as well as promoting awareness of the information, resources and training available for self-management.
Posters and leaflets providing this information will be displayed in community pharmacies across Scotland.
The campaign is being run by two leading pain charities, Pain Association Scotland and Pain Concern, with the support of the Scottish Government and Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
Health Secretary, Alex Neil, said: “Chronic pain is serious and debilitating, but people living with pain should know there is support available to better manage their condition.
“This campaign is a welcome collaborative approach between organisations to raise awareness and help direct people, via their pharmacy, to high quality, safe and effective management of chronic pain.”
Heather Wallace, chair of Pain Concern, said: “This six-week poster campaign is an important new development in empowering people to self-manage their pain.”
She continued: “Never before has all the information been put together like this. By utilising Scotland’s community pharmacies we will reach those people who need it most.”
Phil Sizer, training director of Pain Association Scotland, said: “Self-management is an important approach to health that focuses on helping people to cope better and manage a long term condition like chronic pain.
“To be straight, it isn’t a cure, but it does provide a way to improve quality of life, despite a change in health.
“A good way to learn self management is in a group where you will realise that you are not alone.”
Dr Steve Gilbert, national lead clinician for Chronic Pain, said: “Raising awareness of chronic pain will help everyone to get the best advice about pain management and to find ways of really making a difference.”
Alex MacKinnon, director for Scotland at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “The RPS believes that pharmacists’ expert knowledge of medicines can provide real benefit to people with chronic pain.”
Visit your pharmacist or the Scottish Pain Management website for more information.
ENDS
Notes to the editor:
The six-week campaign will be rolled out to 1,243 community pharmacies starting 23 January 2013.
Chronic pain is a medical term used to describe any pain that goes on for longer than three months. It is different to acute pain which goes away when the injury has healed. Around one in five of the Scottish population experience chronic pain.
It has many causes including arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, accidents or operations that remain painful. Sometimes there does not seem to be an explanation.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Michael Berry | Communications Healthier, Scottish Government | 0131 244 2701 or 07973 370 843 | Twitter – @scotgovhealth
Heather Wallace | chair, Pain Concern | 0131 669 5951 | media@painconcern.org.uk | Twitter – @PainConcern
Phil Sizer | Training director, Pain Association Scotland | 01738 629 503 | psizer@painassociation.com
Iain Brotchie | head of External Relations Scotland, Royal Pharmaceutical Society | 0131 524 2006 or out of hours 0779 361 3041 | iain.brotchie@rpharms.com | Twitter – @RPSScotland
MEDIA RELEASE posted by Pain Concern. You too can post media releases (aka press releases) on allmediascotland.com. For more information, email here.
Contact: Heather Wallace
Phone: 0131 669 5951
Email: media@painconcern.org.uk
Website: http://www.painconcern.org.uk
