Hurwitz simply for being active in pain
management -- and stop prosecuting those
few who followed the recommendations
but unwittingly prescribed opiates to deceitful
patients.The DEA arbitrarily reversed that
agreement.
Dr. David Joranson, head of the University
of Wisconsin Group, says the "DEA's abrupt
withdrawal of support for the [Guidelines]
without consulting with coauthors about
their concerns, raises questions about what
advisory role, if any, the pain management
community can expect to have with DEA."
The agency's changes, he says, "are likely
to interfere in medical practice and pain
management."
His colleague, Dr. Russell Portenoy of Beth
Israel Medical Center, told the Washington
Post that the DEA has changed "the tone
of the dialogue in a way that is very
worrisome. We're seeing more of an
emphasis on law enforcement and less on
the legitimate use of prescription narcotics."