DEA Raids Dr. Forest Tennant’s Pain Clinic
https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2017/11/16/dea-raids-forest-tennants-pain-clinic
Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration have raided the offices and home of Dr. Forest Tennant, a prominent California pain physician, confiscating all of his patient records, appointment books and financial documents.
In a 67-page search warrant, the DEA alleges that Tennant prescribed such high doses of opioid pain medication that his patients could not possibly survive and that they must be selling them. It also alleges that Tennant took financial kickbacks from Insys Therapeutics, a controversial Arizona drug maker that is under federal investigation.
“It’s very lengthy and it goes into things in my past which are totally irrelevant but are obviously designed to smear me and make me look like a bad person. I see what they’re doing,” Tennant told PNN.
dr. forest tennant (courtesy montana public radio)
Tennant, who has not been charged with a crime, believes the raid is part of a broader effort to smear not only his reputation, but to discredit and intimidate other doctors who prescribe opioids to pain patients.
“They’re not just going after me, they’re going after patients,” said Tennant. “I think the country better understand what they’re doing here. They’re saying that regulations don’t count, standards don’t count, and they’ll decide who can get drugs and how much.
“I’d be worried about every pain patient right now, not just mine.”
Tennant is a revered figure in the pain community because of his willingness to see patients with intractable chronic pain who are unable to find effective treatment elsewhere or have been abandoned by their doctors. At 76, Tennant could have retired years ago, but he regularly sees about 120 patients at his small pain clinic in West Covina, California. Many travel from out-of-state and some are in palliative care.
Tennant, along with his wife and office manager, Miriam, jokingly refers to his clinic as a “mom and pop” operation, although in actuality he practices on the frontlines of pain management and has developed treatments for difficult and incurable conditions such as adhesive arachnoiditis, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD).
Those treatments sometimes require high doses of opioid pain medication, but they also include hormone replacement, anti-inflammatory drugs and other therapies that help patients reduce their use of opioids. Tennant says he carefully screens all of his patients and follows all regulations.
“I understand what they’re after. They figure if they go after the big guy, then no one will prescribe,” he said. “If they’re going to hurt me, no doctor is going to be willing to prescribe or do anything. That’s what they’re attempting to do. They’re attempting to neutralize me if they can. And I think there needs to be an outcry.
“The time has come. Is this country going to treat pain patients or not? Are they going to let people die in pain or are they not?”
Ironically, the raid on Tennant’s clinic occurred on Monday, the same day he was testifying in Montana as a defense witness in the trial of another doctor accused of negligent homicide in the overdoses of two patients.
“It seems like a coincidence, doesn’t it?” Tennant said.
Insys Payments
Tennant acknowledges getting about $126,000 from Insys Therapeutics, payments that were primarily for speaking at events sponsored by the company.
Insys makes an oral spray called Subsys that contains fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. Subsys is only approved for the treatment of cancer pain, but Insys aggressively marketed Subsys to have doctors prescribe it “off label” to treat other pain conditions, allegedly resulting in hundreds of overdose deaths.
Several company officials, including Insys’ billionaire founder, have been indicted on federal charges that they bribed doctors with kickbacks and lucrative speaker fees in order to promote Subsys.
Tennant says he stopped taking payments from Insys in 2015 and was dropped from the company’s speaker’s bureau last year.
“What money we did make, we put in the clinic and used it to support the patients,” he said.
Tennant says he can still operate his clinic, but has been informed by the DEA that his charts and patient records will not be returned directly to him. Tennant is asking all of his patients to contact the DEA and request a copy of their medical records so that he can continue treating them.
The DEA’s contention that Tennant’s patients are selling their opioid medication is preposterous, according to 64-year old Gary Snook, a Montana man who lives with adhesive arachnoiditis, a painful inflammation in his spinal nerves.
“The last thing I’m going to do is sell my medication,” says Snook, who was on an extremely high dose of opioid medication before he started seeing Tennant. “Dr. Tennant has me on such a low dose that I’m just barely getting through the month anyway. I don’t have any to sell.
“He’s actually been able to lower my dose by about 80 percent, with his hormone therapy and stuff. I’m afraid these guys are sadly mistaken because he’s been moving patients in the opposite direction than they’re suggesting.”
Snook has a genetic condition that makes him a “high metabolizer” of opioids – meaning he has to take a high dose to get any kind of pain relief. His current daily dose is still about three times more than the highest amount recommended by the CDC.
“I’m not selling mine. I’m just taking it to survive because it’s the only thing that works for my pain. I’ve tried all the modalities and unfortunately this is the only thing that works,” Snook said.
For the record, Dr. Tennant and the Tennant Foundation have given financial support to Pain News Network and are currently sponsoring PNN’s Patient Resources section.
Filed under: General Problems
Why are we allowing this? Why are we not out en mass protesting? Not a one showed at the 3 meetings Trump took to understand our “opiod crisis”. The only response anywhere was “We were not invited” In turn, we are further punished by appointing Christie who has a personal axe to grind. His friend died due to prescription drugs. True enough. An entire bottle chased by a bottle of vidka. There were hundreds of thousands protesting for a word Trump used 14-17 years ago on the Howard Stern Show on Sirius/XM radio show when he was not in politics and if Planned Parenthood should be State or Federally funded. There have been riots organized by Al Sharpton, bringing in paid protestors if there was a possibility that a white police officer used excessive force. Since 2013 we have signed hundreds of petitions. emails, letters, made phone calls. Things continue to get worse. This is not negligible aches and pains. For many of us it is life or death. For some of us it is loss of quality of life. Our “opiod crisis” currently consists of less than 1% as far as prescription pain meds. I dont care how many newscasters use prescriotion bottles as props. I assure you that no doctors are prescribing heroin or lethal Fentanyl laced pills. This has always been politics and money. The public has been brainwashed. The DEA manipulated statistics by adding terminal patients with opiods in their system at the time of death, those denied adequete pain medication who simpley could no longer bear the pain and took their lives, heroin overdoses, classifying and reclassifying medications in order to lump them in, the vast majority were those who illegally obtained prescription pain meds and mixed with other illegal drugs/and or alcohol. Pill mill doctors have long been closed or sanctioned. Electronic records show every prescription taken by every individual to every doctor, pharmacy and hospital. Government mandates to manufacturers translate to almost a 95% reduction in what can be produced. The “war on drugs” was initiated by President Reagan due to the onset of crack and the violence associated with it. He warned that the government must never insinuate itself into doctor/patient relationships. Now thanks to ObamaCare, those like myself that had a good insurance policy for ten plus years that covered everything, save for a $20.00 office visit co-pay are being raped. My out of pocket costs were $10,000.00 in 2017 for the exact same treatment since 2013. I do not have $10,000.00. This to receive enough medication that allows me to sit up in bed. Insurance coverage does not equal health care coverage. We do not have Socialized medicine. We have for profit medicine. NO restrictions were put on doctor costs, hospital costs, pharmacutical costs, insurance costs. Claims are denied. My most recent denial was drug testing. It is “not medically necesary” per Blue Cross unless their is a change in medications or your physician suspects your are diverting drugs, etc. What is your doctor writing in your chart? “Covering my ass” is not a reason. I have no choice unless I can prove I have less than $2,000.00 in assets. Jan 1st 2018, I am required to use Walmart, Not happening. I use the closest pharmacy with a drive thru. Getting dressed, driving and waiting is not an option. I usually just throw something over my nightgown. We have another prime opportunity. Dr Tennant is in National news. Why are people not out raising holy hell? Why are a group least able to do so, but it MUST e done, or just give up. Arrests should be made. Protestors could be carrying signs with known suicides and the ailment they suffered. Those not able like myself should organize and have bail money ready. Yet again, nothing. We did one time politely ask permission for 20 “white coats” to peacefully protest. My disease had a 10% suicide rate WITH adequete pain treatment. No one gets adequete pain care. Doctors cannot live up to the oath they took. My medical records were stolen by the government from when my greatest complaint was degenerative disc disease and other issues from a bad car accident. They made records available after shutting down one of the last pain management clinics in Indiana. I was no longer seeing them once hit with this disease which is known to be on par with stage 4 bladder Cancer. I was not concerned as I knew a doctor had to hold records for 7 years. I had someone go to pick up my records that I know were over 6 inches thick. After waiting for 5 hours, a receipt for my last visit was all they claimed to have. I am never going to get better, at least there has never been a case documented that has ever improved. I have become a disease. I can next expect a heart attack or stroke. If I survive that, early onset Alzheimers. That from living in bed, not my disease. There is NO acceptable reason for this. I do not know of one single doctor who agrees with what the government has done. They have been bullied and threatened by the DEA. They have changed specialties or retired. Pain patients are misguided to direct their anger at doctors or pharmacists, who have had the same done to them. Their extra paperwork, they have been stripped of their right to order what they project they will need. I am mad as hell and do not comprehend why others are not and why we sit back and allow this. Public opinion is against us. Politicians want votes. No more signing petitions or any of it for me. That is the definition of insanity. Continuing the same while expecting a different outcome. WAKE UP AMERICA AND DO SOMETHING!
Talked with a DEA agent last summer about raiding physicians and a couple of other related topics. He referred to the CDC and FDA as the policy agencies, but he added that the DEA creates policy, too. That must be confusing to the judicial system. A drug enforcement agency also creating drug policy? Maybe that agent’s comment was a slip of the tongue or an offhand remark in an unofficial conversation. However, given the craziness related to this opioid frenzy, I’m starting to think that the separation of powers in government doesn’t apply, they’re all just making it up as they go along, and maybe there’s no one in charge, either. There are few things the government does much worse than take on a “war on drugs”. The Tennant raid is particularly sad, given the type of patients he treats. Dr. Tennant’s patients seem to have some of the most difficult conditions.
When this is all over and Dr. Tennant has cleared his name (because we know in these cases the defendant must prove his innocence), I hope he finds the greediest, most money-hungry attorneys and sues the pants off of them. This is sickening!!
DEA did the same thing to my Neurosurgeon and pain specialist, using same charges, over prescribing and 4 possible deaths. Both lost their licenses! My Neurosurgeon was exactly like Dr. Tennant. None of these doctors, who are actually holding up their Hippocratic Oath, deserve to be bullied and humiliated as the media has portrayed them, thanks to this DEA bullshit!! I hope Dr. Tennant wins his case and sets a precedent for all physicians nationwide!!
Are we moving towards socialism? And on all government agencies set up for the people.? Why are we still sitting still over the situation? It’s wrong on so many levels. I believe it’s time that we begin to stand together to band together. Listen DEA and CDC are working to put us against one another. Thinking that we are too weak to stand up and make some noise. We’re Not Dead yet, we’re just sick and if we don’t stand up for ourselves who’s going to stand up for us?
Link to DEA comments and Fl. Bd of RX agenda in my comment below
http://floridaspharmacy.gov/Meetings/Agendas/2015/09-september/agenda-09-21-2015.pdf
Apology: DEA LINK
http://floridaspharmacy.gov/Meetings/Agendas/2015/09-september/agenda-09-21-2015.pdf
NOV 16 44 ATTORNEY GENERAL’S SIGN PETITION TO GIVE DEA MORE POWER!
44 AG’s sign petition to give DEA more power
See Page 33-FWD. DEA Agent Susan Langston speaks to Fl. BoPh. At P.43-“what I can
do is pledge our sincere commitment to this
committee, the medical and pharmacy communities and, most of all, to the public and ensure you all that the last thing we want to do is interfere with a valid medical treatment. ….Pharmacist do not need to fear the DEA…”
The DEA raids of alleged ne’er Do well doctors and pharmacies do instill fear in legitimate practitioners; hence, the refusal to treat by many. These raids have also spawned the unlawful blacklisting of doctors and implementation of unlawful corporate mandates that usurp professional judgement of the practitioners and coercing the refusal of Care and that endangers public safety. The CDC “Guideline” has unjustifiably become “law” in far to many places.
Persecution and incarceration does not work. Medication Assisted Therapy and mental health care helps. Shifting the funding from jails to early abstinence education and MAT programs will go a long way to saving lives. Limiting prescription Opioid supply only drives people to seek out the less expensive more readily available fentanyl laced heroin that is responsible for the majority of overdoses and deaths will escalate. The indigent uninsured do not have access to the uber expensive gold standards of addiction care and are the majority incarcerated. These standards of Care are only available to about 10% of patients leaving the majority with few choices. Failure of Medicaid and Insurance to cover MAT is major hurdle in treating addiction effectively. When Insurance does pay it requires burdensome prior authorizations that delay or prevent access to MAT even once initiated. The majority of aberrant use does NOT result from the direct prescribing of opioids to responsible patients. Most addicts start aberrant uses of illicit substances in their teenage years. They obtained the Prescription Opioids from the street not from a responsible prescriber. Reportedly, 2-15% of prescribed patients will exhibit aberrant use of their prescription opioids, in all but the lowest percentage of this group, addiction started at an age long before they ever had an event/trauma that required their first narcotic prescription. Trump’s and Session’s tactics are doomed to fail.
In the interim, those chronic pain patients that use their medications responsibly suffer due to the media hysteria of the illicit drug crisis. Restrictions on prescription quantities and dose limitations will again push these responsible patients to the pusher Man to seek relief of their pain. Suicide actually starts to become an option for these patients and that is a travesty. Let the sound professional judgment of responsible doctors and pharmacists prevail in ensuring access to beneficial medications for those in need.
Blaming drug manufacturers for addiction is like blaming distilleries and breweries for alcoholism. Where is the Crisis and Emergency for this. Alcohol kills many more than opioids. Both alcoholism and addiction, it must be admitted lies in a conscious choice to abuse the offending substance. Not taking ownership and responsibility for one’s own downfall and shifting the blame to manufacturers demanding they reduce production will not work.
There must be balance of control and access in this battle. One option I believe that would be effective is to create specialty community pharmacies with especially trained pharmacists that service card carrying DEA registered patients to track and prevent unscrupulous doctors, pharmacies and patients from fueling street level supplies. Drug Return Programs to remove unused quantities need to be in common place. Responsible prescribing and dispensing for responsible patients should be allowed. In this scenario if a patient’s physical dependence begins to transition to aberrant behavior interventions can be initiated. It would be a win-win.
DEA comment link
http://floridaspharmacy.gov/Meetings/Agendas/2015/09-september/agenda-09-21-2015.pdf
what is wrong with Politicians and Agencies these days!
I am livid! Dr Tennant, who’s been studying and helping chronic illness patients since the 70’s and the 1 doctor who recognizes intractable Pain such as my Central Pain Syndrome/Post-Stroke Pain/Thalamic Pain, has helped so many people over the decades. His research and hard work has given such great insight to what we Chronic illness people live with 24/7. This is a grievous over-reach by the federal government once again and getting out of control
Lisa Davis Budzinski
Central Pain Nerve Center .com
Already forwarded off pnn,,THEY F-K W.THE WRONG DOCTOR AGAIN/THIS TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!maryw