Physicians must be able to treat chronic pain patients with meds without fear of the DEA, according to seven expert commentaries published in the February issue of Pain Medicine. Is a revolution brewing?
The news release summarizes the seven commentaries as:
- The lead commentary describing current DEA policy on pain care with controlled substances was written by Howard A. Heit, MD, a pain and addiction medicine specialist who has collaborated with the DEA.
- AAPM President Scott M. Fishman, MD, presents the collision of the war on drugs with efforts to improve pain care.
- Jennifer Bolen, JD, Former Assistant US Attorney with the United States Department of Justice, makes a compelling case that current DEA policies are founded on erroneous and inappropriate positions.
- Edward Covington, MD, Steven Passik, PhD, and Ben A. Rich, JD, PhD, add additional dimensions to the current perceived state of imbalance.
- Will Rowe, Executive Director of the American Pain Foundation, a patient advocacy organization, provides perspective on patients’ rights.
Your experiences and opinions are just as important as those of experts. Visit the American Pain Foundation’s advocacy page to learn how you can advocate for pain treatment. Many of the suggestions take little time.
What a great blog. I have had Cluster headaches on and off for about 15 years and they just re-emerged after a 3-4 year hiatus so I was looking for the latest in pain management. Thanks for the great information! 😀