The NFL and the NFL Players Association announced on Monday they are forming a Joint Pain Management Committee, which will “establish uniform standards for club practices and policies regarding pain management and the use of prescription medication by NFL players as well as conduct research concerning pain management and alternative therapies.”
More from the statement released by the NFL:
“The Joint Committee will also receive periodic reports from a newly-developed Prescription Drug Monitoring Program that will monitor all prescriptions issued to NFL players by club physicians and unaffiliated physicians. Prior to the start of the 2019 NFL Season, each NFL club must appoint a Pain Management Specialist who possesses certain agreed-upon credentials, including active engagement in pain management as part of his or her medical practice.”
While it doesn’t state this directly, this could be a sign that the NFL is exploring the idea of lifting the bans on certain products that could have therapeutic and pain management qualities, including marijuana use for medicinal purposes.
While the specific changes this will have on the rules surrounding drug use remain to be seen, appointing a committee dedicated to pain management for NFL players is a step in the right direction for the league, which has seen its image tainted by lack of initiatives aimed to prevent long-term damage to its players.
