Letter: Please Support Dr. Larry Eckstein In His Fight Against DEA

http://boulderjewishnews.org/2015/letter-please-support-dr-larry-eckstein-in-his-fight-against-dea/

My father, Dr. Larry Eckstein, has been a devoted physician for over 40 years working all over the country, and has been a member of Congregation Har HaShem for over 20 years. He has served various communities in medicine and his country in the U.S. Public Health Service in Boston, Puerto Rico, and San Pedro, CA where he was Chief Medical Officer and Lieutenant Commander. His life’s work has been medicine. He has tried to find ways to help people who have very difficult medical problems which others could not help. He has seen those who are financially compromised and given them the same long, extended visits as those who are not and charged little. He has always been available to these patients, even when we are on vacation, checking in with the office and answering service at least twice a day.

In mid-August, an undercover Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent arrested Larry during working hours under the accusation that he distributed narcotics in the community. They even searched the office of course finding only nutritional supplements and homeopathics. This was a sting operation to unjustly incriminate Larry for something he never did. This sting operation involved an undercover agent coming to the office presenting chronic pain problems that were not improving. To help the man, Larry prescribed pain medication to help him function in his daily life. Now we are in the midst of dealing with the legal consequences of these ridiculous charges and the regulatory agency in Colorado that has suspended his license, before his reply window closed, and for unjust reasons.

This is happening to doctors all over the country, and Larry was an easy target because he’s an independent physician who is not part of a hospital or an HMO or any large organization. He spends between 30 minutes and an hour with each patient which is very unusual in today’s medical world. He is like the old time GP. This travesty and witch hunt has turned our lives upside down and is threatening our financial and physical well being.

For editorials regarding this case, see the following links to the Boulder Daily Camera:

http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_28723652/charles-horowitz-prescribing-pain-medication-often-tough-call

http://www.dailycamera.com/opinion/ci_28762609/wendy-baia:-a-miscarriage-of-justice

http://www.dailycamera.com/opinion/ci_28708378/j-wurn:-ruining-a-compassionate-doctors-career

http://www.dailycamera.com/opinion/ci_28708379/jack-donovan:-was-this-entrapment

http://www.dailycamera.com/opinion/ci_28708380/mark-read:-an-outstanding-physician

In addition, Larry has appealed to the ACLU, bringing to their attention the several civil rights issues in this case, even beyond his own unjust arrest, involving the rights of his patients that were violated.

We have set up a facebook support page and a crowd funding site to raise money for legal expenses. We would greatly appreciate any support you can give as we go through this ordeal.

Please share this post with others.

Sincerely,

Jason Eckstein

Filed under: General Problems