Palliative Care Australia (PCA) and Painaustralia (PA) have joined forces at Parliament House today to emphasise the urgent need for timely pain assessment and management, and to ensure continued access to essential pain relief medicines for people receiving palliative care.
The event, hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Palliative Care, brought together policymakers, clinicians, and advocates who want to advance compassionate, evidence-based care for all Australians. Painaustralia showcased a new My Pain assessment Communication Tool (MPaCT) in development, and Palliative Care Australia's Strategic Plan 2026–2029 was launched at the event, highlighting national efforts to improve the experience of people living with pain and those receiving palliative care.
Painaustralia CEO Monika Boogs said effective pain management is fundamental to maintaining dignity and quality of life for people receiving palliative care.
"Whether someone is living with chronic pain or nearing the end of life, pain management is fundamental to dignity and quality of care. Yet we know that 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. Recognising and responding to pain with empathy and evidence-based care is one of the most powerful things we can do to improve quality of life," Ms Boogs said.
"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.
Resolving shortages of critical palliative care medicines has been high on the health sector's agenda and in November 2024 PCA, PA and five other organisations released an 11-point plan to resolve shortages of palliative care medicines. 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.
"PCA congratulates the Government on passing legislation to lower patient out-of-pocket costs for medicines on the PBS. We encourage the Government to go further by making medicines prescribed for palliative care, free to consumers. 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," Ms Rowland said.
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