In January 2013, the Committee on Safety of the Japan Society of Pain Clinicians sent a questionnaire on adverse events (AEs) of pain management to all 307 board-certifi cated training facilities in Japan. Responses were received from 202 facilities (response rate, 66%). The survey asked about prescribed analgesic/adjunctive agents, nerve blocks/interventional therapy, rehabilitation therapy, physiotherapy, medical instruments/devices, and medical imaging systems used in the preceding year. AEs were reported by 99 of the 202 respondents in the year of 2012. Most reported AEs were classifi ed as side effects resulting from analgesics/additives or complications because of nerve blocks/interventional therapy. The survey of 2012 warned of the following issues: inappropriate use of strong opioids; side effects of neuropathic analgesics for geriatric patients; the risk of car accidents in patients using analgesics; the lack of Japanese guidelines for the management of antithrombotic therapy in pain medicine; hematoma and infection after interventional therapy; pneumothorax resulting from blocks on the trunk; and complications of peripheral nerve blocks under ultrasonographic guide. Taken as a whole, the number of reported AEs increased with the frequency of the prescription or procedure. This paper reports details of the background leading to manifestation of some AEs, which should prove useful for raising awareness among members of the Japan Society of Pain Clinicians and therefore prevent AEs in the future.