DEA gone mad!!

December 30, 2004

Hi everyone!! I read this post in another group I am a part of and

thought it worth sharing. I removed the original posting persons

name, though I did get he permission. I know this has always been a

concern among most Family doc's. So far I have been fortunate that

my doc's understand and know me well enough to be comfortable. That

and the fact I tell them what other narcotics I am on before they

perscribe something else. Anyway, here it is.............Marina.....

By now, you may have had the opportunity to read about the DEA's

conviction of a

doctor who helped many chronic pain patients regain their lives. I'm

speaking

of Dr. Hurwitz, from McLean, VA. There are an estimated 50

million

chronic pain sufferers in the U.S. alone. I've read article after

article about

this doctor, whose only crime was having compassion, and was

deceived by some

professional fakers who were DEA plants. This doctor followed all of

the

prescribing laws to the best of his knowledge, requiring

documentation and

records before he would write a prescription for any patient.

Patients came

from other states to be treated by this man who was not afraid to

treat severe

chronic pain with adequate doses of pain medication, and his reward

is the

destruction of his practice and livelihood, followed by an unjust

prosecution,

conviction, and prison.

The calls to action have now been issued. Have you made time to write

letters of support or tried to help raise money for his appeal? How

about a

letter or two to the governor of West Virignia, where he is

currently being held

as his family tries to raise $60,000 for an appeal?

Maybe you haven't, because you think " he wasn't my doctor " , " I don't

know him " , " he must have done something wrong " , or any number of a

dozen things. Here are the chilling facts: this happened to a pioneer

of the pain management specialty, and there is nothing to stop the

DEA from going after YOUR doctor. Don't think it can happen to you?

It can. It has been happening to doctors all over the country, most

of whom carefully documented everything in compliance with the law.

Don't think this will affect your pain care, or that of anyone you

know? You're

wrong. It's already affecting mine, and I'm here in Akron, Ohio.

This was a

high-profile case, so many physicians who treat chronic pain have

watched the

unfolding drama with Dr. Hurwitz with dread, and now fear. What

doctor in his

right mind would jeopardize his license, his practice, and his

livelihood for

those patients who require the most time, effort, documentation, and

often are

the poorest in the practice? My

doctor's office is currently implementing a policy where I will no

longer get my monthly pain medicine prescriptions from the doctor I

have a pain

contract with. I'm going to pain management in January, like it or

not, and I'm

hoping I will get decent treatment there. My husband is

also on a pain contract, which means very strict rules and agreement

to abide by

these rules such as never, ever giving or selling pain medicine to

anyone else,

being willing to submit to random drug testing, making sure the

medications are

locked up and secure at all times, taking the medication only as

directed and

agreed upon by the doctor, and in the event of lost or stolen pills,

being

willing to do without and file a police report. He will either get

shipped off

to pain management or will have to " learn to live with " less meds

than he

currently receives, which were supposed to be just the first step in

titrating

him up to adequate relief. In my calls to the pain management center

to get

questions answered, I've already been told it's highly unlikely I'll

be allowed

to continue on the medicine I'm used to and which gives me adequate

relief -

OxyContin. Yes, that OxyContin, the one that allows me to get out of

bed in the

morning without crying in pain, the one that allows me to get some

halfway-decent sleep at night when my pain levels are controlled,

and when used

properly by someone in pain, will result in true addiction 0.05% of

the time. I

will be put on other meds, which may or may not give me the relief

OxyContin and

Percocet give me.

I don't know about you, but I'm furious. I'm protesting against this

unjust treatment of people who have a right to #1 receive adequate,

on-going pain relief, no matter what dosing level it takes, and #2

have a duty to treat these people in an ethical, compassionate

manner. I'm furious that the " War on Drugs " has become a " War on

Pain Treatment " because going after people who shoot back has gotten

too dangerous. I'm outraged that the United States Department of

Justice would rather go after " sitting ducks " - pain patients and the

doctors who dare treat them with compassion; which, by the way, is

already lacking in the majority of doctors.

I've sent letters expressing my outrage and protestations, but have

you? What have you done in defense of adequate, on-going pain

management for all who need it? All 50 million of us?

February 2, 2005