New Indiana law gives chronic pain patients more flexibility with doctor’s visits, prescription refills

INDIANAPOLIS — One in every four adults suffers from chronic pain, according to the CDC. For one Indiana lawmaker and his doctor, the fight to help Hoosiers with chronic pain is not only necessary—it’s personal.

“Pain is something that is very debilitating,” State Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis) said. “I think people don’t realize what kind of impact it has on your life.”

For more than 20 years, Rep. Behning has lived with chronic back and leg pain—a constant reminder of a car crash that changed his life forever.

“[I] ended up having surgery…my back’s been fused,” Rep. Behning said.

He also has Degenerative Disc Disease, making his pain even worse. For years, he tried treatment after treatment and procedure after procedure to no avail.

“I felt like I was always in a fog,” Rep. Behning said. “At one point…because I was on such a high dosage, I was experiencing withdrawal like every 72 hours for a period of time, and so my quality of life was not great at all.”

But then he was referred to Dr. Joshua Wellington, a leading specialist in epidural pumps (also known as pain pumps).

“I was fortunate that he was referred to me,” Dr. Wellington said.

According to Dr. Wellington, pain pumps are surgically implanted devices that deliver prescription opioids directly to the affected pain receptors.

“By doing that targeted delivery, we have about 100-fold more potency, so we can use extremely low doses,” Dr. Wellington said. “So, with that low dosing, there’s minimal to no side effects.”

“I had that done in October of ’14, and it’s changed my life,” Rep. Behning said.

But because of strict rules around prescribing opioids, previous state law required hundreds of Hoosiers with pain pumps to see their doctor for refills every 90 days—costing them time and money.

“There were exceptions written into that law for cancer, for palliative care, but spinal drug pumps were not really thought of at that time,” Dr. Wellington said.

That all changed this year thanks to a bill authored by Rep. Behning. After receiving unanimous approval from the General Assembly, the newly enacted bill will allow Hoosiers with pain pumps to go up to six months between doctor’s visits for refills. Gov. Mike Braun ceremonially signed the bill into law last month.

“This bill is a big step forward just in terms of quality of life for people, for patients,” Dr. Wellington said.

“It has totally changed my life and something that I would recommend to people who have chronic pain as an option,” Rep. Behning said.

The law goes into effect July 1.