Some Brave Physicians Stand Up for Pain Patients, Some Brave Reporters Tell the Truth About Opioids

 Some Brave Reporters are Telling the Truth About Opioids

Some brave reporters like George Knapp an investigative reporter for the Channel-8's I-Team tell the truth about opioids and pain patients in stories like his I-TEAM report on Opioid Addiction Versus Dependency

When the 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain came out most of the pain management physicians in my area misunderstood that: 
1. they were guidelines and not a rule, regulation, or law.
2. the guidelines were for Primary Care Physicians and NOT pain management.

In Northern Arizona I was unable to find one, not one pain management physician who understood the 2018 Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act 

Every so called pain management physician I contacted told me they were limited by the 90 or 120 mg MME limit. Read the law, that's not what the law says... 

Is it they can't read and understand the law? Or are they so afraid of the government they're willing to violate their oath to do no harm and let patients suffer and die in pain?

Could you? Could you watch someone suffer in pain if you had the power to lessen their suffering? Could you? If you had the power to allow someone in pain to get up and get out of their house, to do things that improve their quality of life. Could you? Could you just watch them suffer in pain?

The legislature put protections in the  2018 Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act to protect current chronic patients, but physicians simply ignore these protections. Even when I hand them this email from Governor Ducey's Office outlining the protections.

They read the governors email and actually say, "I'm not going to break the law". When I tell them this is the law, they just say "I'm not going to break the law".... 

Many of the current problems with pain patients turning to street drugs and overdosing are caused because physicians refused to follow the protections the legislature placed in the Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act to protect current pain patients.

It was well known that forced tapering of current pain patients who had built a tolerance to opioid pain medications over years of use would have no choice but turn to the street if doses were reduced too low.

Some Brave Physicians Stand Up for Pain Patients

Dr Marx is one of a hand full of pain management specialists who understand pain management are standing up for pain patients. 

In the I-TEAM story Opioid Addiction Versus Dependency 
Dr. Marx says pain patients do develop a dependence on their medication, but they can take it basically forever without harm it allows them to keep their jobs, remain active, have a life. Those who've had their meds cut have suffered terribly, and many have committed suicide. Their need for medication is not addiction

"Dependence is not addiction," Ziegler said. "Withdrawal is not addiction. Addiction is a completely separate matter. As lot of people can be managed well on prescription therapy. For those who can be managed well, why are you trying to change their treatment?"

WATCH: Opioid Crisis - Reporter George Knapp's complete interview with Dr. Stephen Ziegler