Governor Sebelius Signs Pain Patient's Quality of Care Act

From the Governor's 4/14/06 Press Release:

"HB 2649 creates the Pain Patient’s Quality of Care Act and amends two of the statutes in the Kansas Healing Arts Act and a statute that concerns assisted suicide. The Pain Patient’s Quality of Care Act identifies pain as a significant health problem and notes the diagnosis and treatment of pain is complex and can involve several treatment modalities. It also gives the state a duty to restrict the inappropriate use of controlled substances while supporting a physician’s and other health care professionals’ ability to provide appropriate pain treatment. It identifies rights and responsibilities of a person suffering from pain, including being an active participant in treatment and reporting all symptoms and concerns accurately, completely and honestly to physicians and other health care professionals assessing and treating the patient’s pain. The amendments relating to assisted suicide would delete two phrases from the statute, both references to medications and procedures that may hasten or increase the risk of death. The two statutes in the Kansas Healing Arts Act that would be amended relate to acts by licensees that constitute professional incompetency and authority of the Board of Healing Arts to take disciplinary actions against the licensee. This bill will take effect after publication in the statute book."

Thanks to the LIFE Project Pain Management Task Group, and especially Bob Twillman and Bob Bethell, for their work on this.