Senator questions pain panel’s ties to industry

A US senator has begun an inquiry into possible conflicts of interests among members of an expert committee that advises the US government on policy on pain treatment.

The Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC) is being consulted by the Department of Health and Human Services about changes to opioid prescribing guidelines that have been suggested by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A draft of those guidelines,1 released last December, focused on the use of opioids for the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain. The draft guidelines recommended that opioids should be used as a last resort for these patients and that treatment with non-opioid drugs and physical, …