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Thirty Attorneys General Speak Out
On Pain Management!
To: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
From: The National Association of Attorneys General
January 19, 2005
We, the undersigned Attorneys General, write to express our concern about
recent DEA actions with respect to prescription pain medication policy and to request
a joint meeting with you...
The National Association of Attorneys General in 2003 adopted a Resolution
Calling for a Balanced Approach to Promoting Pain Relief and Preventing Abuse of
Pain Medications. Both these documents reflected a consensus among law
enforcement agencies, health care practitioners, and patient advocates that the
prevention of drug abuse is an important societal goal that can and should be pursued
without hindering proper patient care. The [DEA Pain Guidelines] issued in 2004
appeared to be consistent with these principles, so we were surprised when they were
withdrawn. The Interim Policy published on November 16, 2004 emphasizes
enforcement, and seems likely to have a chilling effect on physicians engaged in the
legitimate practice of medicine...
We have learned that adequate pain management is often
difficult to obtain because many physicians fear investigations
and enforcement actions if they prescribe adequate levels
of opioids or have
many patients with prescriptions for pain medications. We are working to address
these concerns while ensuring that individuals who do divert or abuse drugs are
prosecuted...
We hope that together we can find ways to prevent abuse and diversion without
infringing on the legitimate practice of medicine or exerting a chilling effect on the
willingness of physicians to treat patients who are in pain...We hope to meet with
you soon.
Sincerely,
Attorneys General of:
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia,
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia
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