The Community Pain Management Project is designed to
facilitate the exchange of appropriate information among healthcare providers
and with local agencies in order to (a) improve the health care management of
patients with complaints of chronic or acute pain and (b) reduce the risk of
abuse and diversion of pain medication prescribed by Berkshire County healthcare
providers. As of this time, the Community Pain Management Project has developed
and instituted the following initiatives:
- The Pain Care Resource Manual: A Practical Guide for
Health Care Professionals, a resource manual prepared by a wide range of
Berkshire Health Systems affiliated practitioners and others engaged in
specialties that involve pain management and which Berkshire Health Systems
will make available to all physicians and other healthcare professionals in
Berkshire County who are licensed to prescribe controlled substances
- Additional tools for the healthcare practitioner
managing patients with chronic pain, including comparative data on prescribing
practices of Berkshire County practitioners, tamper-proof prescription pads,
and cautionary office signage
- The Multidisciplinary Pain Assessment and Treatment
Program, an integrative assessment and treatment clinic sponsored by Berkshire
Health Systems and through which patients with complaints of chronic pain are
assessed and, when appropriate, referred to practitioners in a variety of
specialties in order to assess and address identified pain-inducing conditions
- Coordination of necessary information and treatment
plans for patients in pain management protocols
- Cooperation with and assistance to local court probation offices to
facilitate successful completion of probation and conditions of pre-trial
release for individuals with substance abuse concerns
