Friday, June 30, 2017

A Letter To Governor Ducey on Opioids Problem

Governor Ducey June 30th 2017

I fear the violence we saw at the Las Vegas pain clinic on Thursday will be coming to Arizona soon. What physicians are doing to thousands of pain patients is wrong and will cause more pain and suffering, and I’m sure more suicides and violence will follow.

Physicians like Dr Benjamin Venger are reducing patient’s medications based on fake news and without medical justification leaving patients to turn to the street for illegal drugs, or end the pain like the patient Thursday.

At my last visit May 26th with my pain management physician Dr Benjamin Venger in Fort Mohave he tried to reduce my medications again like he has to all his patients, again I told him DEA didn't do it.

I told Dr Venger that I had spoke to DEA in Washington D.C., and the agent said DEA does not tell physicians what or how much medications to prescribe, and “that any change to a patient medication must be based on medical necessity and not on policy”.

When I told Dr Venger that the 2016 CDC pain treatment guidelines were for primary care physicians, not pain specialists, I was stunned by his answer. Dr Venger said “I know, but its gone social now”.

I have no idea what a subject “going social” has to do with the medical treatment of patients. When I told people at DEA, the FDA, and the CDC that physicians were lowering patient doses because of “social media” and not medical necessary many were speechless.

The Director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Dr Debra Houry said in her response that the CDC “believes patients deserve safe and effective pain management. The Guideline also helps providers and patients—together—assess the benefits and risks of opioid use”

Dr Hourly went on to say “the recommendation to taper or reduce dosage is only for when patient harm outweighs patient benefit of opioid therapy”. 
Reducing the dose of opioids without regard for tolerance, dependence or medical necessity as individual patient is NOT in line with the 2016 CDC pain guideline.

As the benefits of opioid therapy outweigh the risks for many individual patients’ physicians must document the medical necessity of any dose reductions or they need to face disciplinary action when patients harm themselves or others because of lack of pain control.

It’s sad when someone abuses opioids and overdoses.
It’s tragic when a pain patient must take their life for lack of proper pain management.

Jay Fleming, Speaker
Dolan Springs Arizona
Law Enforcement Action Partnership
Advancing Justice and Public Safety Solutions

LawEnforcementActionPartnership.org

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