Providing effective pain management.

Pain is a common presenting symptom, both in primary and secondary care. For over 30 years, studies of adult patients have consistently demonstrated inadequacies in the treatment of acute pain in the postoperative period. However, acute pain is not confined to surgical wards. Many patients on medical wards also experience moderate or severe pain on movement or at rest, commonly of musculoskeletal or visceral origin (Johnson et al, 2003).