Anonymous survey about how DEA’s actions have effected your quality of life

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

How have you been affected by the reclassification of opiate medications or changes to state laws?

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/reportpainmanagement_prescribing

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS-
 
For the millions of American patients experiencing an acute medical need or living with chronic pain, opioids, when prescribed appropriately, can allow patients to manage their pain as well as significantly improve their quality of life when combined with a program of effective integrated health management.

In recent years, the FDA and CDC have become increasingly concerned about the abuse and misuse of opioid products, which have sadly reached epidemic proportions in certain parts of the United States. While the value of and access to these drugs has been a consistent source of public debate, the FDA has been challenged with determining how to balance the need to ensure continued access to those patients who rely on continuous pain relief while addressing the ongoing concerns about abuse and misuse.

In 2009, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for a recommendation regarding whether to change the schedule for hydrocodone combination products, such as Vicodin. The proposed change was from Schedule III to Schedule II, which increased the controls on these products.

 
In 2015, the CDC contracted with a panel of experts to make recommendations for the development of guidelines designed to address perceived problems with increasing overdose deaths associated with the use of prescription medications and illicit, illegally obtained opiates. These Guidelines for prescribing opiates for persons with chronic pain were issued in March of 2016.
 
Throughout the period from 2012 to 2016, states began to pass legislation which changed prescribing practices for persons with chronic pain who utilize opiates and other schedule II medications for pain management.
 
States have devised and install prescription drug management programs (PDMPs), initiated drug take back programs and limited access by making changes to prescribing practices.
 
Both CDC and FDA have professed their desire to work with professional organizations, consumer and patient groups, and industry to ensure that prescriber and patient education tools are readily available so that these products are properly prescribed and appropriately used by the patients who need them most.
Nevertheless, reports from consumers indicate that their access to appropriate pain management has been disrupted by changes to scheduling, the adoption of CDC’s Guidelines for Chronic Pain Prescribing, and changes to state prescribing laws.
The following drugs have been reclassified from Schedule III to Schedule II:
  • Hydromorphone (any brand, any dose)
  • Oxycodone (any brand, any dose)
  • Hydrocodone (any brand, any dose)
  • Morphine (any brand, any dose)
  • Oxymorphone (any brand, any dose)
  • Methadone (any brand, any dose)
  • Transdermal fentanyl (any brand, any dose)
  • Transdermal buprenorphine (any brand, any dose)
  • Ritalin (any brand, any dose)
  • Adderall (any brand, any dose)
 
Reports of difficulties in access to support have emerged from the patient community. These reports include-
  • Different restrictions on opiate prescribing levels have emerged from state to state. 
  • Different physician qualifications for prescribing and training have appeared as a function of differing state laws. 
  • Refill practices are now variable from pharmacy to pharmacy and state to state.
  • Forced substitutions with less effective prescription medications.
  • Forced acceptance of interventional procedures (injections, pumps, or stimulators) as a condition for prescribing oral forms of opiates.
  • Physician discharge of patients wit

FDA and CDC have publicly stated that they want to work with patient groups to determine the impact of this change. We believe that it is important for consumers with chronic and intractable pain (for any reason) to be represented in the policy changes. This collection tool is being distributed to selected groups of consumers through social media platforms.

Please review the following questions. Your best answer to these questions will help us to determine how consumers are most affected and where our advocacy efforts should be placed. Your personal identifying information will not be shared under ANY circumstances but your email and state/zip are necessary to confirm that (1) we can follow up with you if we have questions and (2) we can examine geographic location patterns as a factor in your response. Each submission will be assigned a code for reference in order to assure anonymity.  During the data analysis process your personal name will be separated from the information and separately and securely store with a record number.

If you are a care partner to a friend or family member who cannot complete this on their own, please indicate that you have provided assistance on behalf of another.

The contact person for this survey is: Terri Lewis PhD tal7291@yahoo.com

Filed under: General Problems

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4 Responses

  1. DeeAnn Pattison, on October 10, 2016 at 9:44 am said:

    Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for posting this!!!!! This is just what we need. I so appreciate your passing this on.

    Reply
  2. Kimberly Hilton, on October 8, 2016 at 3:32 pm said:

    Where are the questions?

    Reply
  3. mary, on October 8, 2016 at 8:42 am said:

    Amen,,,,THANK U, Terry,,,for 1 helping us,,and 2 having the financial meas to do so, this will help us soooooooooooooo much,,it will give the ,”proof.” these inhumane creatins claim isn’t out there of the torture and genocide they have willfully committed w/my dime,,,maryw

    Reply

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