A statewide voluntary professional organization since 1989, the Pennsylvania Cancer Pain Initiative (PCPI) is comprised of healthcare professionals, educators, public officials, community leaders, and people diagnosed with cancer and their families and friends. PCPI membership totals more than 1,500 healthcare professionals. There are three statewide goals central to the PCPI mission:

• Increase provider knowledge about pain assessment, pain relief, and appropriate prescribing practices;
• Educate the public about their rights to pain control; and
• Serve as a resource center for education and communication of pain relief.

The American Cancer Society Pennsylvania Division is a partner of the Pennsylvania Cancer Pain Initiative to address regulatory, insurance, clinical, patient, and caregiver awareness issues that relate to cancer pain. Through this partnership, the Pennsylvania Division aims to increase health provider knowledge about pain assessment, pain relief, and appropriate prescribing practices, educate the public about their rights to pain control, and serve as a resource center for education and communication regarding pain relief.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Cancer Pain Initiative, call Director Georgia Brown, RN, BSN, at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania at 717.531.6849.