The Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC) is a Federal advisory committee created by the Department of Health and Human Services to enhance pain research efforts and promote collaboration across the government, with the ultimate goals of advancing the fundamental understanding of pain and improving pain-related treatment strategies.
On behalf of HHS, the NIH established the IPRCC to coordinate all pain research efforts within HHS and across other Federal Agencies. The Committee is composed of seven Federal members and twelve non-Federal members, six drawn from the scientific and medical communities and six members of the public and stakeholder groups. The Department of Health and Human Services Secretary will review the Necessity of the Committee at least once every two years.
Health Care Act Provisions
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) (Public Law 111-148) provisions related to the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee are as follows:
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ESTABLISHMENT
The Secretary shall establish not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section and as necessary maintain a committee, to be known as the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (in this section referred to as the 'Committee'), to coordinate all efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services and other Federal agencies that relate to pain research. -
MEMBERSHIP
(1) In general --The Committee shall be composed of the following voting members: (i) Not more than 7 voting Federal representatives appoint by the Secretary from agencies that conduct pain care research and treatment. (ii) 12 additional voting members appointed under subparagraph (B).
(2) Additional members -- The Committee shall include additional voting members appointed by the Secretary as follows: (i) 6 non-Federal members shall be appointed from among scientists, physicians, and other health professionals. (ii) 6 members shall be appointed from members of the general public, who are representatives of leading research, advocacy, and service organizations for individuals with pain- related conditions.
(3) Nonvoting members -- The Committee shall include such nonvoting members as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. -
CHAIRPERSON
The voting members of the Committee shall select a chairperson from among such members. The selection of a chairperson shall be subject to the approval of the Director of NIH. -
MEETINGS
The Committee shall meet at the call of the chairperson of the Committee or upon the request of the Director of NIH, but in no case less often than once each year. -
DUTIES
As specified in Public Law 111-148 (“Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”) and amended in H.R. 6, (“Support for Patients and Communities Act”) the Committee will:
The Committee shall-
(a) develop a summary of advances in pain care research supported or conducted by the Federal agencies relevant to the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and management of pain and diseases and disorders associated with pain, including information on best practices for the utilization of non-pharmacologic treatments, non-addictive medical products, and other drugs or devices approved or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration;
(b) identify critical gaps in basic and clinical research on-- the symptoms and causes of pain, including the identification of relevant biomarkers and screening models and the epidemiology of acute and chronic pain;
- the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and management of acute and chronic pain, including with respect to non-pharmacologic treatments, non-addictive medical products, and other drugs or devices approved or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration; and
- risk factors for, and early warning signs of, substance use disorders in populations with acute and chronic pain;
(c) make recommendations to the Director of NIH-
1. to ensure that the activities of the National Institutes of Health and other Federal agencies are free of unnecessary duplication
of effort;
2. on how best to disseminate information on pain care and epidemiological data related to acute and chronic pain; and
3. on how to expand partnerships between public entities and private entities to expand collaborative, cross-cutting research
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REVIEW
The Secretary shall review the necessity of the Committee at least once every 2 years.
NINDS Office of Pain Policy and Planning
The Office of Pain Policy and Planning (OPPP), within the Office of the Director at the National Institute for Neurological Disorders & Stroke (NINDS), plans, develops, and implements the NIH Pain Consortium activities and programs in collaboration with Pain Consortium members and under the direction of the PC Executive Committee. OPPP also manages and coordinates the activities of the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC). These activities are based on the charges of the IPRCC as a federally-mandated advisory committee, and includes development of the National Pain Strategy and the Federal Pain Research Strategy.
Office of Pain Policy Staff: