Roles and Responsibilities of Stakeholders

There are many different stakeholders which have the capacity to influence pain and its management. This chapter will explore in detail some of the more significant stakeholders in both pain management and the overdose epidemic plaguing the United States today, including clinicians, patient advocacy groups, regulatory agencies, policymakers, payers, members of the pharmaceutical industry, and others. Sometimes, identifying “key” stakeholders in these areas can be challenging, and it is not uncommon to forget the most important ones—people with pain. Additionally, it is important to remember that clinician and patient alignment with respect to pain treatment goals and expectations is a critical piece of a pain treatment plan. This chapter will also discuss and reinforce the importance of patient advocacy as a vital part of the patient-clinician relationship, and the potential role it can play in a patient’s sense of responsibility, adherence, and active participation in their pain care to ensure the safest and most effective outcomes possible. In some cases, actions taken by these stakeholders will be explored as well as some of the consequences of those actions. The main intention of this chapter is to give the reader a broad perspective not only about the number of stakeholders, but also an understanding of how dynamic the relationship between them is, and how their actions can impact each other, patients, and society members at large.