The Ohio Pain Initiative (OPI) is a statewide, 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization located in Columbus, Ohio, committed to ensuring that persons in Ohio with pain will receive optimal pain management. Over a million Ohioans suffer from chronic pain and almost all persons experience acute pain due to surgery, injury, or illness. The under-treatment of pain is a significant and continuing problem for tens of thousands of Ohioans. Pain suffers should have access to appropriate and effective pain management.

Myths and lack of knowledge interfere with appropriate and effective pain management. OPI seeks to educate healthcare professionals and the public about pain and the effective management of pain through seminars, publications, resource tools, and advocacy.

The Ohio Pain Initiative (formerly the Ohio Cancer Pain Initiative) began operations on January 2, 1991, after more than three years of planning and organization by an interdisciplinary group of health professionals and community leaders, becoming the 17th state cancer pain initiative. The OPI was modeled after the Wisconsin Cancer Pain Initiative, the first state initiative and a World Health Organization demonstration program. The name of the organization was officially changed in 1999 to broaden its mission in helping to improve the management of pain regardless of its cause.

The Board of Trustees of the Ohio Pain Initiative is an interdisciplinary group of health care professionals and the public elected by the membership and who strongly support the belief that education, policy change, and access to care are the keys to the effective management of pain.