DEA agents meet in Orlando to discuss pain medication access
National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators conference held in Orlando
Hundreds of law enforcement agents, including those with the Drug Enforcement Administration, are in Orlando to talk about Florida and the nation’s prescription problems.
The group turned its attention to the plight of patients who can’t get their needed pain medication.
WESH 2 News spoke with a doctor who is trying to help law enforcement see the other side of the issue.
“I think what needs to happen is, to have them recognize we’re on the same team,” said Dr. Gerald Aronoff, medical director of Carolina Pain Associates.
Aronoff is working with police and DEA agents from across the United States in an effort to help real patients suffering with pain to get their medication.
Industry leaders are attending the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators conference to address the issue WESH 2 News Investigates has reported on for almost a year.
Patients in Florida and elsewhere shared stories of those who have committed suicide after being denied legitimately prescribed pain medication.
“Unfortunately, many of our law enforcement members, they only meet the abusers. So part of our commitment and when we do our training is talking about the legitimate patient,” said Charlie Cichon, with the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators.
Aronoff said pharmacists reported supplies cut by as much as 80 percent from wholesalers. Purdue Pharma, a drug manufacturer, said since 2012 the company has received more than 350 complaints from patients in Florida who have had their legitimate prescriptions rejected.
“I think it’s tragic. Sometimes when you try to make policy with a blunt instrument, people get hurt and that was not the intent,” said Dr. J. David Haddox, of Purdue Pharma.
A state committee created after a series of WESH 2 News reports will meet again in three weeks to continue working to find a solution to the prescription access problem.
Filed under: General Problems
Did I really just read that? Wow. I hope it is as good news as it sounds, but it’s hard to get too excited when, as a pain patient, I know anything can happen from day to day. Having moved to Florida last winter I couldn’t believe how hard it was to get my pain medicine compared to Minnesota. But soon I found a doctor here, and my MN doctor discussed everything I need with my new FL doctor (pain management specialist and neurologist) and that went great. He agreed that I am a patient who needs higher doses of opioids to function (and barely do at that). Now that I’ve found pharmacies who have gotten to know me, I can get my meds…but that’s only if they have enough stock. There is a shortage for sure. Finding those pharmacies was an incredible amount of work, and with severe pain, took everything out of me for quite some time. I support the people who are beginning to understand that we are not addicts, we don’t seek street drugs, and we don’t take more than we are prescribed. There are millions of us, and with the baby boomers getting old, that number will probably continue to increase. The government thus far has only belittled us and forgotten about us. And we have been made to feel like criminals by pharmacists, friends, family and our “unknown friends” in government. Keep it up, DEA, we need you to recognize this very large epidemic of pain, not an epidemic of abuse. That is obviously another category in your department.