By Pat Anson, PNN Editor
Federal and state efforts to reduce opioid prescribing have harmed pain patients across the country and caused many doctors to arbitrarily cutoff or taper patients who need opioid medication, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch.
The 109-page report -- “Not Allowed to Be Compassionate” -- highlights the many unintended consequences of the 2016 CDC opioid guideline, which discourages doctors from prescribing opioids for chronic pain. The report recommends the CDC revise the guideline to explicitly state that patents should not be involuntarily tapered off opioids and that some patients may require higher doses.
“Many individuals with chronic pain are being involuntarily tapered from essential medicines that are vital to their daily functioning, depriving them of their right to health,” the report found.
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