42 U.S.C. § 294i — Program for education and training in pain care

(a) In general: The Secretary may award grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to health professions schools, hospices, tribal health programs, and other public and nonprofit private entities to develop and run programs that give health care professionals education and training in pain care. (b) Certain topics: A grantee must develop a full education and training plan that includes information and education on: (1) recognized ways to assess, diagnose, prevent, treat, and manage pain and related signs and symptoms, including non-addictive medical products and non-drug treatments, and the medically appropriate use of controlled substances; (2) applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, rules, and policies on controlled substances, including opioids; (3) team-based approaches to delivering pain care, including delivery through specialized centers with pain care treatment expertise, integrated evidence-based pain management, and non-drug treatment where appropriate; (4) cultural, linguistic, literacy, geographic, and other barriers to care facing underserved populations; (5) recent findings, developments, and advances in pain care research and delivery, which may include non-addictive medical products and non-drug treatments meant to treat pain; and (6) the dangers of opioid abuse and misuse, spotting early warning signs of opioid use disorders (which may include best practices on screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment), and safe ways to dispose of unused prescription medications, including options offered by law enforcement or other deactivation methods. (c) Evaluation of programs: The Secretary must (directly or through grants or contracts) evaluate the programs run under subsection (a), to see how they affect knowledge and practice of pain care. (d) Pain care defined: "Pain care" means assessing, diagnosing, preventing, treating, or managing acute or chronic pain, no matter its cause or where it is in the body. (e) Authorization of appropriations: Congress authorized whatever amount is necessary for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, and that money stays available until it is spent.