New report reveals inefficient management of chronic pain costs Europe billions of euros each year

A new report launched in the European Parliament shows inefficiencies in the treatment of chronic pain result in increasing health care costs and prolonged patient suffering.

Chronic pain costs Europe billions of euros every year, with national costs ranging from 1.1 billion euros ($1.48 billion) to nearly 50 billion euros. 21% of Europeans with chronic pain are unable to work at all as a result of their chronic pain, and of those able to work, 61% said it had impacted directly on their employment status.

This new research was commissioned for inclusion in a pan-European consensus report, the Pain Proposal, developed by a range of European experts in the fields of chronic pain, policy and economics in partnership with Pfizer.