Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the announcement in a speech in Ohio on Wednesday. He said the action was the first of its kind and a sign of how serious the administration is about fighting the opioid epidemic.
The DOJ said the doctors had been served this week with temporary restraining orders preventing them from prescribing.
“These injunctions – a temporary restraining order – will stop immediately these doctors from prescribing—without waiting for a criminal prosecution,” Sessions said.
So much for innocent until proven guilty ?
It would seem that every time that the DOJ “steps over the line” and pushes what can legally be done and they get “away with it” .. the next time… it seems like they try to find how much farther they can go pass the line and get away with it.. This action by AG Session in Ohio – IMO – demonstrates how bold the DOJ is getting toward opiate prescribers.
The DEA has ran “help wanted ads” for Forfeiture Financial Specialist Supporting the DEA does this suggest that the DEA is more interested in the assets of a prescriber than the “dead bodies” as the reason they claim that they are going after a prescriber
And why should they worry about crossing the line ?… there is no resistance nor consequences for their actions !
All they have to do is look at what is going on in and around the chronic pain community.. There was a fund raiser to help Dr Tennant with his legal expenses started EIGHT MONTHS AGO and to date there has been 119 contributors
And there was a fund raiser started a few days ago for Pain Warriors ~ the Movie and to date there has been 32 donors and they have reached ELEVEN PERCENT of their goal…
Then there are the prescribers… logic would suggest that – before the vultures start circling – they could put all their assets into a irrevocable trust and basically make themselves personally a pauper and leave nothing for the the DEA’ s forfeiture Financial Specialist to find and the DEA nothing to confiscate and maybe have fewer reasons to go after the prescriber ?
One would think that ALL PRESCRIBERS would have by now jointly created a legal defense fund to help get cover legal expenses of their professional colleagues. SOP for the DEA is to raid a practice/clinic, confiscate all of the assets of the prescriber and toss them in jail… so they have no money to pay bail, no money to hire a first class attorney and left with very few options which you can click here for more info other than accept a public defender or plead guilty to a couple of charges and get a dozen or two years in prison.
When is the last time that you read where the DEA has caught anyone other than some “end of the food chain” drug mule transporting illegal drugs ?
Wouldn’t take much to see that prescribers are not trying to protect themselves … the entire prescriber community is not financially coming together to create a legal defense fund
The chronic pain community is failing to come together to create a legal defense fund. In fact some within the chronic pain community believes that agree with the DEA that addicts are causing their problem of being unable to get their necessary pain medication. They refuse to acknowledge, and agree with our Surgeon General, that all addictions are a mental health disease and not a moral failing.
Over the last 6-7 years I have seen chronic pain pts and other who are interested in advocating for the chronic pain community come and go. I suspect that some have come to the realization that they are nothing more than a ” Don Quixote ” and they cease to advocate… It may not be long before more will come to that conclusion and more will cease to advocate and few will step up to take their place. What will be left, will be “easy prey” for the DEA to have their way with.
Filed under: General Problems
It seems pretty small to criticize the patients who are victims of this gross injustice. I imagine each one is doing what they can, with limited means and opportunity. It falls to those of us more able tonight formthem.
This country was build upon people fighting INJUSTICE… remember the Boston Tea Party and “taxation without representation”… as I remember it started the Revolutionary War. it is claimed that 90% of the chronic pain pt’s family are struggling financially… but whether you use the 100 + million chronic pain pts or 20-30 million intractable chronic pain pts… there is still 2 -10 million that are supposedly NOT STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY. Of the fund raiser that I am aware of… the largest got 120 people to donate… suggesting that there is only 1200 chronic painers – that are aware and engaged in what is going on. Leaving tens or hundreds of million of chronic pain pts and their families that are not engaged nor wish to be engaged… and unlike the families of those who OD… and become enraged that they will do whatever possible to make sure that not another family has to deal with a OD… the chronic painer’s family will walk away from the grave site… sad of course… but saying “…at least he/she is no longer suffering…” and they will get back to their lives as it was before the chronic painer disrupted their life’s path.
Or, they’ve been taken advantage of by other organizations in the past and do not know who to trust with their finances, regardless of income. I for one, don’t know much about the film, the filmmakers, the direction the film is going, what they are going to portray. I’d need that info first – or are you thinking we should all just send money because it has the name “pain”?
One think I believe strongly – we should NOT be attacking each other. Pain patients are enduring stresses and anxieties beyond what anyone could ever have imagined. Let’s not victimize the victims?
I’m on the phone everyday to 3 senators and the White House.But I’m only one person.Maybe News ch.8 in Nevada will help.They’ve already given a lot of exposure,thank them
I hate to say but it seems like they are slowly but surely taking our lives I give up So when I’m gone I hope my dr realizes he/she was responsible
To an extent I understand the frustration about CPPs not getting together or piling onto petitions & such…I’ve joined several orgs, signed a zillion petitions & written even more letters (feels like), gone to protests, & preparing to testify at a hearing. I’ve been aggravated by the amazing balkanization of, say, Fb groups for pain people –they especially seem to proliferate like rabbits, so each group has few members & communication between groups is very poor, at least broadly.
The problem with trying to get a large group of very physically challenged people to step up & show up seems to be sort of self-evident (this has always been my concern for pain rallies; very few people are liable to show up, so the public thinks these barbaric policies only affect a very few). Most use nearly everything they have to keep going with the minimum of their daily lives. But with something this dire coming down, many more need to find some energy, find ways to scale back something somewhere, trade an hour a day on social media to activism…something. I’ve talked to several of really terrific, active fighters, & they all are teetering on a fine edge of collapse from pushing themselves beyond what they can manage. Between exhaustion & despair from trying to battle the tsunami, I’m not surprised so many fall out.
I’ve gotten very, very active this year especially, and have noticed one thing very vividly; it sucks my limited physical, mental, & emotional resources & raises my stress levels even farther than “merely” keeping up on the national hysteria. I suspect other pain people –especially those who’ve lost their meds– just don’t have the mental, emotional, & physical wherewithal to get very active. OTOH, I have seen people who clearly spend all day ever day on Fb telling how much pain they’re in but who also don’t sign petitions or write letters, which can both be done from the computer they’re on all day, so …it’s a problem.
I’ve seen several fundraisers that I desperately wish I could donate to. But it’s only by the most incredible scrambling that I’ve been able to hang onto my house the last 5 years, with no possibility of financial situation improving. I’ve cut back to where I go without supposed necessities. I’m sure there are a lot of people who are also in similar situations; we’d donate if we had any money to donate.
One side point; on “innocent until proven guilty,” I learned decades ago that that lovely little phrase didn’t apply to pain patients. We’re guilty until…forever. We’re just guilty, period. And now that these fascist locusts are going after doctors and companies, they will be too. Not exactly a climate to propel people already worn to nubs to leap up and march on the world.
Thank you Steve for all you do for the chronic pain community.
I haven’t been able to understand why more pain patients don’t get involved or stay involved. I’ve had a few of them tell me they were afraid to put their name out there. A lot of them read all my posts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, but they never share them.
I think a lot of pain patients have found another way to control their pain, or just lose all hope. I know I almost gave up, it’s a hell of a lot easier than spending 3 to 10 hrs a day reading, posting, following the FDA, HHS, CMS opioid prescribing committees, emailing congressman, Senators, governors, etc.
I get extremely frustrated when I spend hours and hours posting the information where pain patients, there Advocates and Dr’s can go comment on opioid prescribing guidelines. I’ve signed up to get the updates from all of these committees. By the time the comment period of time closes we’ve only got 1500 pain patients that have weighed in on this. I know there is at least 15 million people in this country that have legitimate reason to take pain medication.
I just don’t get it, don’t these people understand it’s not just them. My biggest fear is what happens to one of my children or grandchildren if they get what I got or something worse, I don’t want to meet my maker knowing my loved ones have to spend the rest of their life in hell here on Earth. I just don’t know what I can do to increase the number of pain patients getting involved with something that they should do naturally, that is fight for their right to have a life.
I for one will not give up until this inhumane treatment of our elderly disabled and Wounded Warriors is over.
Thanks to you Steve, I have new information to add to my Arsenal on a daily basis.
i definately agree with Steve.
Someone should ask Bob Twillman – the Executive Director of The American Academy of Intergrative Pain Management, Who’s also director of pain advocacy along with The American Academy of Pain Medicine and ALL the other Dr Pain Orgs, Ask them Why they’re Wgimoing out and caving in to the government Instead of Uniting to support their Own doctors ?
All these orgs have proved they’re worthless by letting Drs who are certified under them fall.
Pain Management specialists will be scratching their heads when there’s No patients left to be had and their businesses dry up.
AAIPM is doing the CME this year on Organic diet, Alternative therapies and a couple other stupid ideas that dont do much for pain.
What is the purpose of these non profit pain Dr orgs? Nothing . They should be uniting a Legal Defense Fund! Standing behind their patients and helping to fight back.
“They refuse to acknowledge, and agree with our Surgeon General, that all addictions are a mental health disease and not a moral failing.”
I’d like to address this because I read a lot of comments regarding this. IMO once we reduce the stigma associated with substance abuse and addiction, the stigma related to CPPs who rely on opioid-based medication will automatically decrease, as well. Please don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing wrong with identifying as a CPP instead of an addict. There’s nothing wrong with describing the difference between addiction and physical dependence.
I completely understand the anger towards addicts. Does it make me mad that some of them manipulate doctors or steal a sick person’s medication? Absolutely! But instead of focusing your anger on the addict, who is most likely self-medicating emotional pain (possibly from a mental health disorder or past trauma), focus your energy on the bureaucrats who are making it near impossible for those of us to receive our medication with their ignorance and knee-jerk reactions to all of this.
Someone should ask Bob Twillman – Executive Director of The American Academy of Intergrative Pain Management, The Head of Pain Advocacy. And
The American Academy Pain Medicine etc.. Theres several of these so-called Pain Dr Organizations that should have United years ago. Instead of protecting their own? They caved in and accepting whatever the Government says like a bunch of whimps. Well maybe when there’s no patients left to be had and their pockets are empty, they will realize the huge mistake they made.
We now all see just how WORTHLESS these organizations really ARE. Non Profit, Why?
AAIPM is doing the CME this year on Organic Diet, Alternative therapies and really stupid stuff that will do nothing for chronic pain, least not much. Its a joke.
Be Afraid, be very afraid when Big Brother takes over your healthcare because they don’t know you and aren’t doctors. What’s scarier is we’re letting them do it by our silence, only those who really need it are screaming to be heard. PULL out the earplugs, please!
The law that was passed in 2016 that the DEA complained about on 60 minutes for “tying its hands behind its back” was supposed to stop these DEA knocks on the door with a stop order. What they did was take away your certificate. So now they’ve found a way around this, by using the “temporary injunction” to basically commit an illegal act.
Steve , IMO you’re just right! Plus you’re a really smart man. I myself really appreciate all you do for the Chronic Pain Community! I’m in Ohio and this is absolutely absurd! They just “legally” get away with everything don’t they!? I agree that Dr definitely should do what you said, why haven’t they thought about this? As for funds for Dr Tennant , we as a Chronic Pain community / especially his old patients should have helped more and also we need to help with the upcoming film. I’m not sure why ppl are disappearing or not advocating anymore, or why people in our Chronic Pain community thinks for one second that everything is the addicts fault or that this isn’t a mental illness. Myself I’m not the best advocate bc I feel I’m not witty enough for these ppl out there I honestly don’t. But I am smart enough to know one step in the right direction is believing that mental illness is the cause for addiction! I don’t have money, my husband recently had a heart attack and isn’t doing well so now neither one of us work and we have 3 kids, I’m under medicated on Medicaid! I don’t drive , never have because of some trama. Anyway what can a person that has no clue about politics with no money do to help her Pain community? I want to help , I honestly neve4 knew how , I vote but to be frank I really don’t know a lot about politics in the 1st place beside I knew what president not to vote for. I’ve always had trouble understanding it. So I try to help by sharing your page and others, but no one listens. I do know this is all wrong and I really need to do something. I have an Autistic son, a husband with bipolar disorder, crohns and now a heart that can’t be fixed. I may not have much or know much but their has to be something for me to do. Thanks
Hi Jess,
I was right where you’re at a couple of years ago when my meds started getting cut. I have peripheral neuropathy, however through all my cuts I’ve been battling with some intestinal issues for about 3 years, no one could figure out what was wrong with me. Finally I figured it out, I have Crohn’s disease. About a year in, my body is getting so weak and losing muscle mass cuz I can’t eat, going through these cuts my shoulder goes completely wemt out it’s bone on bone arthritic with two tears in the tendon, my left leg bone has become detached from my foot bone, I’m dealing with the neuropathy, undiagnosed Crohn’s disease, and when were doing all the tests to find out what’s wrong with my guts they found two spots on my lungs and the lung doctor tells me I got a 50-50 chance of having cancer. All this became overwhelming I was suicidal. I knew the facts were off there’s no way intractable and chronic pain patients were responsible for the opioid epidemic. So I got pissed, I’m not real tech savvy, I only have a high school diploma, I worked in Mills for 15 years, then the government shut down Oregon Logging because of a spotted owl that didn’t even live here, they kind of tasted like chicken, then I worked in aviation for 16 years before I became disabled, what I’m trying to say is you don’t have to be a genius, just back up the doctors and good people like Steve that’s trying to help us. If we lose them for lack of interest on the pain communitys part where dead. I didn’t know what to do so I just started opening up accounts I got on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, at first all I did was reposting of articles from good folks like Steve, then I started looking for the facts, most all of our educated people that are helping us, have archived sections on their pages. What I’m trying to say is find out the facts, repost everything. Being allmost bedridden I do most all of my advocating on my phone. You can write emails to your Senators, governors, State Licensing boards, the CDC FDA DEA CMS HHS ETC. Get involved in the opioid steering committees, there are several groups out there you can join, if you don’t know what to do. They’ll be more than happy to give you a small job. Just start writing letters spend a couple hours a day looking at social media. I now have over 1,500 Twitter followers, doctors are now asking me to join my network on LinkedIn, not because I know what I’m talking about but because I repost facts that they have no clue about. For instance when the CDC admitted 2 overestimating RX opioid related deaths by 50%, I started asking every doctor that prescribes opioids, and I see a lot of them, if they knew that the CDC guidelines were flawed by 50%, 4 doctors 2 nurse practitioners had no idea. They’ve been Fed a line of b*******. So Jess just start out slow, as you get to know more people, learn how to use these smartphones, join as many groups as you can actually keep track of, you can be a pretty good advocate for pain patients. Follow me @david cole1 Twitter, you’ll find a great group to join that’s a good fit for you. There are a lot of local groups you can join as well. Main thing is start out slow, so you don’t get overwhelmed. Cuz I get like 30 emails a day, about 200 messages, I’ve had my story Written In Articles, been interviewed by Mark the RX Professor here on LinkedIn. I was trying to change his mind the way he feels about opioids. And he did put me in an article, then he started talking about appropriate prescribing, not zero opioids. here’s your first job, send an email to Sandra Cashman, MS she’s an executive secretary, Office of the chief of staff, CDC briefly tell your story and ask them why you have to suffer, ask her how come no doctors were not informed of them having an algorithm problem and overestimating RX opioid deaths by 50%, since about 2006, ask her why they had no public comment before they issued these guidelines. And any other questions you might have. If you you have any questions email me. coonbear4@gmail.com just make sure you put the word PAIN in the subject line. That way I won’t delete you. So let’s get started you’ll be a great advocate for pain patients and their doctors.