Medical Board of California
Licensing details for: G 55092
Name: PINSKY, DAVID DREW
License Type: Physician and Surgeon G
Primary Status: License Renewed & Current 
School Name: University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
Graduation Year: 1984
Address of Record:
2050 HUNTINGTON DR STE D
SOUTH PASADENA CA 91030
LOS ANGELES county
The following information is self-reported by the licensee and has not been verified by the Board.
Are you retired? No
Activities in Medicine Other – 10-19 Hours
Administration – 1-9 Hours Teaching – 1-9 Hours
Patient Care – 10-19 Hours Research – None
Telemedicine – 1-9 Hours Patient Care Practice Location
Administration – 1-9 Hours Teaching – 1-9 Hours
Patient Care – 10-19 Hours Research – None
Telemedicine – 1-9 Hours Patient Care Practice Location
Zip – 91030
County – LOS ANGELES
County – LOS ANGELES
Patient Care Secondary Practice Location Not identified
Telemedicine Practice Location Zip – 91105
County – LOS ANGELES
County – LOS ANGELES
Telemedicine Not identified
Secondary Practice Location Not identified
Current Training Status Not in Training
Areas of practice Other – Not Listed – Secondary
Internal Medicine – Primary
Internal Medicine – Primary
Board Certifications American Board of Internal Medicine – Internal Medicine
Postgraduate Training Years 4 Years
Cultural Background White
Foreign Language Proficiency French
Gender Male
In listening to this program… two things seemed fairly odd…
Dr Drew repeated several times that he was not aware of any chronic pain pts having trouble getting their medication(s)
Dr Drew repeated several times that Suboxone DOES TREAT CHRONIC PAIN VERY WELL.
I guess that Dr Pinsky’s neighborhood or “circle of friends” live in a “utopia” in regards to ready access to adequate chronic pain treatment… or all the FB messages, emails, phone calls that I get every week are from chronic pain pts are just “unlucky” or lying about not getting proper pain management prescribed… or having Pharmacists refusing to fill the controlled substance Rxs and/or PBM/insurance companies refusing to pay for only some or none of the Rxs that their prescriber writes.
Suboxone may well work for some chronic pain pts …but… the only FDA approved use for Suboxone is for opioid dependence… of course this can be used/prescribed “off-label” for just about any health issue.
Where are the clinical studies that support the long term use of Suboxone being effective in treating chronic pain… ? Isn’t this what all the anti-opiate zealots use as a reason why opiates should not be prescribed long term to treat chronic pain ?
Just imagine this… a pt is being given some Suboxone for chronic pain… maybe works a little bit… but the pt is offered no other medication options… the pt’s doc retires, leaves town, or stops treating chronic pain pts..
In searching out a new prescriber to treat the pt’s chronic pain… the pt gets routinely turned down in their search of new prescriber… BECAUSE… these prescribers see SUBOXONE on the pt’s medication records… It is a controlled substance and would show up on a PMP report… and the prescribers “jump to the conclusion” that the pt is in REHAB for substance abuse…
May make no difference that the pt’s medical record does not have a ICD10 code for substance abuse.
After all, the only FDA approved use for Suboxone is for SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
Filed under: General Problems
Check at about 14m30s where Doctor Drew says: “high degree of association between childhood trauma and chronic pain”. What the H’LL is he talking about. There is a high degree of association between childhood trauma and addiction. Doctor Drew is not corrected in the video regarding this statement by either Claudia Merandi or Dan Laird. Doctor Drew needs to speak the facts, not dump more false BS facts onto the backs of chronic pain patients (CPPs). Also, Doctor Drew never states at the beginning of the video exactly what he had said previously that he is apologizing for. I watched the previous video and he stated essentially that opioids should never be given to chronic pain patients as they are ineffective at treating chronic pain. I am glad to have Doctor Drew in the corner of CPPs, but am concerned that if he continues to misspeak the facts, he could cause more harm than good!
Dr Drew says these things to get attention for his folk medicine,, “cramp lotion.” He has a reality TV career he has to promote. There used to be laws and regulations about health marketing in this country but they are no longer enforced. Dr Drew does not disclose who his sponsors are, they prefer to make it appear that these ignorant comments are spontaneous. A few of the poor souls he took advantage of on his Reality TV shows died, yet here he is again. He should stick to theatrical reality show therapy, on the disturbing and ridiculous behavior that reality shows actively promote. Dr Drew is a media prostitute, he will say anything that will get attention and promote his brand. He does not seem to know, that behavior on reality shows does not reflect real life.
This quote doctor used to do a radio program on sex in the early 90s on a radio station up in the Los Angeles Orange county area . So apparently now he’s an expert on pain? He’s a joke
Unfortnately, once you agree to suboxone, you are then labeled an “addict”! Somehow, this vital piece of informationwas missing from Dr. Drew’s podcast…you will never again receive pain medication, and post surgical pain will NOT BE TREATED.. This is just my opinion. Also l heard Dr. Drew slip in something to the effect that people who take pain medicine should have their childhood trauma treated WTF? Was l the only one who heard that? Sheesh…sorry but l do not believe it has pain relieving properties, l do not have childhood trauma and l refuse to be labeled an addict! STOP THE INSANITY!
This guy is utterly tone deaf on what is happening to chronic pain patients. How in the hell can you be considered an addiction “specialist” and yet feign ignorance about the issues the pain community is facing? He certainly must not do any studying of current medical literature as he would come across many articles discussing and debating the use of opiates. His reading likely doesnt stray much from People magazine. I could write about his truly condescending behavior in this farce of a podcast for the rest of the night. But it would frankly be a waste of my time. What twisted times we live in when the public listens to people who basically do no more than “play” a doctor on tv. I think its time he go back to his singing career.
In TN it is illegal to prescribe Suboxone for chronic pain. I sent Dr. Drew that message. No response.
Thanks for pointing out the obvious. That “resume” you put up didnt impress me at all. I didnt see anything on treating pain and half the resume was “not listed not identified” Anyway all Drew is,is another KOLODNY, Drug Pushers who’s drug of choice is SUBOXONE! A medication designed for opioid addiction,heroin etc. Its not a “pain medication! They were forcing “US” to take gabapentin,Lyrica,and anything else sitting on the shelves . STOP the madness and allow CPP their pain medicines
Happened to me. Suboxone became my ‘off label’ medication for chronic pain after 12 yrs of legally PRESCRIBED opiate ANALGESICS. Suboxone should NEVER NEVER be taken for anything or any length of time except for previous illicit drug abuse usage. Biochemically, it dysregulates MU opiate receptors if taken over a long time period. I’m proof of this and would gladly submit to testing or conferencing with med professionals to discuss this further.
I have no prescriber and can not continue taking OTC NSAIDS. Other body systems/functions are being heavily compromised adding to the already unbearable chronic pain issues.
This is too much. More has to be done ASAP, for abandoned/needlessly suffering CPP’S. NOW.