“In the last two years there have been global moves to make pain management a high priority within health care policy and practice, driven by both human rights and economic concerns. Professor Michael Cousins, Chair of Australia’s National Pain Strategy (NPS) states, ‘Pain is Australia’s third most costly health problem and arguably the developed world’s largest “undiscovered” health priority.’
“A 2007 report by Access Economics and the MBF Foundation found that chronic pain costs the Australian economy $34 billion per annum. The largest share of costs is borne by the sufferers themselves (55 per cent).”
By Bronwyn Duncan. From Of Substance e-bulletin, November 2012.