Take Control of Pain

Advocating for empowered and innovative acute pain management

colorful logo of take control of pain

Our education and advocacy campaign to support families navigating pain management options provides the resources and information needed to support appropriate prescribing, shared decision-making with providers, and access to treatment innovations.

An estimated 80 million Americans receive medicine for acute pain each year. 1 Furthermore, to help manage pain approximately 125 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed to patients in 2023.2 Although opioids can be effective, they can also pose significant risks to an individual’s health, putting individuals at a higher risk for developing an opioid use disorder (OUD).

With a high prevalence of acute pain and OUD, which impact more than 5 million Americans3, it is critical families and caregivers receive the support they need to make the most informed decisions about pain management treatment options. To do so, the pain education campaign provides educational materials, webinars and other resources to help families and caregivers navigate available options.

In addition, the pain education campaign, together with CAN’s FAM will create, educate, and advocate for policies and programs that help address pain management so that all families, caregivers, and patients have the tools and resources they need to thrive.

Learn more about pain management and the work of Take Control of Pain through the resources below.

5+ million Americans

live with opioid use disorder

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Steering Committee

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  1.  Lopez A, Jones J, Menzie AM, Peta S, Ippolito A, Rubin J. An evaluation of the prevalence of acute and chronic pain medication use in the United States: a real-world database analysis. Presented at: ASRA Annual Pain Medicine Meeting; November 10-11, 2023; New Orleans, LA.
  2. About Prescription Opioids. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/about/prescription-opioids.html.  
  3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-annual-national-report