The thing that I feared the most in this world happened today. My pain doctor (who is the department head of Palliative Care at Jewish Hospital) told me that she has been ordered to eliminate all outpatient pain patients. This is a woman who has gone to bat for me, brought me back to life. Never once judged or doubted me, gave me what I needed with a smile and compassion. I am utterly devastated, and literally feel like someone died…and it might be me.
There are three major “hospital players” in the Louisville, KY market … Baptist, Norton and Jewish… with Norton and Jewish being the “bigger dogs” on the block. I have seen this happening in retail pharmacy… the major players are chains and there is an increasing number of Pharmacists that are just “employees” of these corporate giants… and IMO… the chains are dictating to these employees how they will practice pharmacy – forget what authority the Pharmacy practice act gives the pharmacist – Who gets care – if they get care – and how much care they can get is seemingly being DICTATED by someone within the corporate structure that would appear to be TOTALLY OUTSIDE OF THEIR WHEELHOUSE… but starting your own pharmacy or any other healthcare practice… is nearly financially prohibitive.
It would now appear from this situation with Jewish Hospital in Louisville.. that the EMPLOYED head of the Palliative care … has been DICTATED to… to no longer care for out pt chronic pain pts. Could this be considered a prelude to some sort of genocide… discrimination against a protected class under the Americans with Disability Act… or an encouragement to the pts to just exercise their final option to resolve their chronic pain ?
Filed under: General Problems
One might think,,that w/’tort reform now a days,,,that a lawyer would argue these crimes of torture and genocide are soooo cruel,soo inhumane,this crimes against the medically ill have cause death, thus proven so extremely serious…and universally condemned…That thee United States transgressions implies foregoing any sovereign immunity…In short,,,codify an implied waiver for violations of jus cogan norms!?,,its a thought,,,we gotta do something people,,,,people are literally being forced to suffer till death occurs,,,thats barbaric,,mary
Since when is genocide and torture legal in any country?mary
Lori, I believe several groups are looking into grounds for class action suits. The major hurdle to get past seems to be the right of sovereign governments to exempt themselves from civil legal action in the performance of their constitutional duties. One practically has to demonstrate or assert criminal conspiracy before any action will even be entertained by a court.
You are correct that the “sovereign immunity” that the government has put in place is nearly insurmountable … our system does not guarantee that any law that a legislature passes is constitutional. IMO.. there is no sovereign immunity to protect the constitutionality of a law being challenged in a court of law and it being determined to be UNCONSTITUTIONAL… We can’t sue the government for what they are doing.. but.. there is the possibility to take away the unconstitutional laws that they are using to control/punish people with chronic illnesses … like most/all subjective diseases ( pain, depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, mental health, addiction).
I’m Canadian and our systems are different, however meeting legal grounds for consideration of action is equally as complicated here. Is there any process that would allow the fact that experts dictated, vocalized and explained (some times with historic example) that there would be consequences for enacting the CDC guidelines, but they did not take action to prevent them? I mean the experts were clear that there was a risk of suicides and would be causing harm to pain patients because they would all be treated with one size fit all opioid treatment even though the guidelines offered more ability for professionals to exceed the guides based on a case by case basis. It has played out that the experts were right. Governing bodies did nothing to minimize the risk or offer greater support ect. They were clearly informed and aware of risk and still took action that caused a loss of life and harm. Does that in any way hold them to a greater responsibility?
Has anyone heard of any class action suits being formed due to what’s happening to chronic pain patients? Not sure if a lawyer would put it together, and not sure just who would be sued, but it’s something I’ve been wondering.
It’s definitely genocide that’s why they are passing all these right to die bills. They want us to go to the street and feed this huge HEROIN EPIDEMIC…. that is why our military is guarding all the opium fields. Palliative is basically gone and I believe now they want to change hospice from dx of 6 months death to 30 Days! It is illegal to impose such strict scrunity and sanctions upon our physicians and legitimate chronic pain suffering patients… therefore they are referred to as guidelines. What do we do? This huge failed war on pain suffering must end. Enough is enough!
All these agencies,and their back and forth legal wrangling,is nothing but a game they play with people’s lives.These medicines are on this earth to help those in need.If some misuse them,if some abuse them,I’m sorry for them,but the abuse of a minority is not a good enough excuse to punish the majority.Drunk drivers kill thousands every year,but the majority drive everyday and live to go home.We don’t take cars away from those who need them because of the few incompetents.Most FDA approved drugs are poisons,and tens of thousands die yearly from the pharma drugs other than opioids,yet they hand out anti-depressants like candy,they push their low cholesterol garbage on the nation,when most don’t need it,and the list is endless.
I am almost 64 and have never taken any of their useless garbage,and have remained healthy because of it.My chronic pain conditions came about out of my control,and the opioids are all that help me function.They war against cannabis when they know damn well it is safe and works,now they want to take away kratom another safe botanical that they know damn well helps pain patients,they treat us with total disrespect in the opioid issue,and try to take those from us.That tells me they have an agenda,and it has nothing to do with the welfare and wellbeing of the people.Is this,or is this not,a democracy?Do the majority rule,or do we not.They exercise an authority that is totalitarian and needs to be challenged by these do nothing politicians and bought off lawyers.The suicides and despair they cause puts blood of innocents on them,yet they don’t care because they have no moral conscious.
My provider is from a huge hospital and is being mandated to practice under their guidelines. I was informed by my provider prior to the actual release of the CDC guidelines that in 90 days I would be on 2 LA and 4 IR medications. This date for reduction 5/11/16. On 5/15/16 I started & went through 11 days of severe withdrawal, lost my F/T job in Healthcare & I’m slowly declining with each passing day.
I’ve been advocating for ALL CNCP patients for many years as I know the DEA has been targeting our physicians for many of them. I don’t understand how or why physicians in pain management are following guidelines not meant for them except, since the DEA lost the War on Drugs they’re going after those without them. I know without a doubt that the DEA played a crucial part in allowing illegal drugs into our country. I have proof of or wouldn’t be making these accusations just as I have proof of the real numbers of those that have died from opioids from a physician who did the math. The CDC, FDA DEA & all involved need to stop the genocide against their own people and allow those with a license who know their patients to practice medicine.the CDC admits & knows that suicides have increased since these guidelines and we’re keeping count of ALL who are taking their lives because they can no longer get adequate pain control if there ever was such a thing. Yes, it’s against the ADA & if we can find an attorney I have numbers in masses lining up to join up for a class action suit against the government. They’ve been sued before and lost and will be sued again.
Thank you
and…….. we have a kinda large agency behind us..The U.N has stated this is torture,,however in the same breath,,they say they do not have the legal authority to sue America,,and the U.S. in the past has threaten to pull all FUNDING IF THE U.N GOES AGAINST THEM..There is a organization outside of America called,,The Inter America Human Rights Council,”..They have a office in Washington D.C,,,,in 2000 they sued the dea and won,,in a International Court of Law,,and the DEA was thrown out of South America,,ie Peru and Bolivia,,,This organization has legal authority to sue the United States Government,,,but I need help w/this 1,,,,,They require A LOT of paper work to even conscider taken the case,,,,They require 5 professional,,ie doctors ,pharmacist,,willing to testify or provide assistance to the council in the form of knowledge about thee entire situation and their assestment..Mr. Areins has already stated he would be 1 of the 5…We need 4 more,,,Also there is what they call,”,Petition the council,”,,,to even see if they will take the case,,After u petition the council it take 30 days to see if there willing to except the case,,,A lot of hoops,,,anyone will help me???Also for me,,like ALL OF US,, my physical pain interferes w/my ability to gather all this info,,,1 more trip to the hospital for pancreatitis,,im in trouble,,,big time,Soo,,,,that’s the scoop,,,I /and many have tried thee aclu’s,,,,,some state aclu are willing,,,many are not,,,Sooo any other idea’s,,,????we gotta do something guys,,,Not to say we all haven’t tried,,,cause we have,,but we have to find a way that sticks to the walls ???!!,,mary
Mary, do you have specific online links to the information you have summarized here? A Google search doesn’t turn up anything on”The Inter America Human Rights Council”. Are you sure you don’t mean the “Inter-American Council on Human Rights” under the Organization for American States?
I hate these long named agency’s,,,,Inter- American COMMISSION on Human Rights,,,,,sorry for my incompetence,,,,mary
Mary, what if I could get the 4 more needed as i have the right people in mind. One is a physician & 2 are PhD’s as well as another physician or two. Please send me your information to snoogums79@gmail.com if you can & we can converse this way. Also, if you can download an app called Viber or even Skype we can talk this way. My number on Viber is +1 – 443-406-5968 and my skype name is Ssherman63 but, please send your contact info to my email above as i’ve the documentation to help & the resources. Sherry
We’ve got 2 of the 5,,,we are waiting on a 3rd,,,,he is looking over the site..Inter American Commission on Human Rites,,2,see their ,”theory or thought,”’ on denial of medical care,,,,Look over the site,,,seeee if its something your interested,,,IT IS A LOT OF WORK,,, if we don’t dot our i’s and cross our T’s,,they will reject the petition..The U.N.. did the same thing,,,u gotta do it their way,,proper,,There is no doubt in my mind,,we are exactly the type of people they help,,,and ,”they” will be watchen us,,Dont forget ,”our” government is/will see ever email,,every thing we use on thee internet,,,This is why the U.N does not use the internet,or respond to emails..Our Government wrongfully is watching their emails,,their computer use…With me forwarding every death,,every sickening bit of torture jmo,,they have caused,,,u bet your bottom dollar there watchen me,,and u know what,,,I DON’T CARE!!!!!,,,WHAT THEIR DOING TO US IS INHUMANE,,CRUEL,,, IT IS TORTURE AND GENOCIDE..I just saw on another site about veterans,,Now the government is claiming we are all over medicated,,and thats why were choosing death,,,,after our meds are forcible taken!!!!!!can u please tell me how the hell they would factually know this???it is literally impossible to know what medicine we have /had,,their not doctors,,they factually have no-way to determine how much physical pain were in,,its impossible to feel the physical pain of another,,but u see where there going w/this lie don’t u????there passing the blame or their use of torture and genocide onto again,,our doctios and our medicine,,,NOT WHERE IS SQUARELY BELONGS,,,ON THEM,,,since these cdc guildeline all of our veteran’s are under medicated now,,,we know it,,,but Klondyn/government takes this absurd statement,,,we are all over medicated,,,to take a shot at our competency,,and thus put the blame off of them!!!maryw
Mary,
Send me your email to snoogums79@gmail.com title it Chronic Warrior as I have much documentation to send you that may help as I have Kolodny under my watch as all he wishes to do is fill his treatment centers. Trust me I agree 150% with you & I don’t care if they’re watching me either. However, I do have the real numbers done by a pain physician specialist. I’m also keeping track on a spereadsheet with others the deaths they have caused for this I am sad.
However, I would like to send it to your email.
Sherry
jmo,,,if any of us most make this aweful choice,,,,and believe me..i am trying ever avenue not too,,,,but,,,,,i for one will make dam sure my hubby contacts this blog,,,as another statistic,,,mary
Lee Memorial Health Systems in Fort Myers, Fl, has a pain clinic staffed by several Pain Management Specialist all Board Certified Physiatrists with pain subspecialty training. It’s probably the best well rounded clinic in Southwest Florida where patients have access to multiple pin management modalities. The doctors have recently been telling patients they MUST comply with the CDC guidelines released earlier this year. The patients total MMEs are being reduced by tablet MG reduction or by reduction of quantity prescribed. The doctors are folding to pressures from management.
This week I had two new patients present prescriptions from a local pain clinic after having been served by OPTIMUM RX mail order for many months. They stated that OPTIMUM is limiting their quantities that can be obtained monthly to 120 tablets of their IRO when they have been getting 150 per fill for many months.
My Big Box pharmacy squashed the business with a corporate mandate at my SOLE location because my percentage of controlled fills to non-controls was over 20% of total. The patient can visit ANY other pharmacy to fill BUT I am coerced to refuse to fill against my professional judgment and validation / diligent vetting of the same prescription.
After just 60 days of therapy, ANY patient MUST being using an ERO plus an IRO, AND the prescriber MUST be BOARD CERTIFIED to treat the patient, AND the IRO can not exceed 120 tablets per 30 days.
This interference with my professional judgment is a direct violation of Florida law. FLorida law allows certain physician practices to be exempt from Pain Management registration e.g. Surgical, Physiatric, Anesthetist, Podiatry; but, if these specialist do not have a subspecialty pain training certificate I am coerced to refuse to fill their valid prescriptions against my professional judgement.
The company’s coercion to refuse to fill perfectly valid prescriptions directly violates Patients’ Rights to freedom of their health care provider and opens me up to personal professional liability under Medicare, Medicaid, and ADA. The mandate limits freedom of choice dictating what patient can see what doctor, limits freedom of choice to their pharmacy / pharmacist, and dictates how the doctor should practice medicine.
I have pushed back to corporate in writing and by telephone conferences, not to eliminate but to modify and make the mandate it more equitable, without success. I am told to read the mandate as black and white, that there is to be no flex it it’s intent, and if I feel I cannot take ownership of the mandate I should seek employment elsewhere.
I have made every regulatory agency of Florida including the office of State Attorney Pam Bondi and Govenor Rick Scott. Not one agency has stepped up to address the mandate or its violation of Florida Law or most importantly to protect the residents of Florida and the integrity of the Profession of Pharmacy.
I’m still trying and pushing back. Next corporate conference call is Nov. 2nd. I’ve been waiting since May to get it and have been allotted a not so generous 30 minutes to speak to this travesty. If the above concerns are not addressed and modified…
The next step will be to notify every news agency that’s willing to listen.
Richard,thank you sir,for your bravery in dealing with this insane monopoly.Please advise us if you need to go media,what we can do to help,which media to contact etc.It is pathetic that people already in misery have to deal with this additional misery created by a system that has stopped caring about the weakest of its citizens.I personally have very little energy,constant pain and lack of mobility is draining and depressing,but I can type and express to any media that will listen.
Thus far it hasn’t happened to me,but I live with the constant uncertainty that it may.Apparantley our already crappy medical for profit system,is now dictated to,and run by corporations,insurance companies,and the dea.Why do doctors even bother wasting their time and money in medical school anymore?We should all just go to these other entities for our unhealthy care!
I am beginning to think the system really would like us to suicide out.Since money is Americas god it would save plenty to just eliminate us,especially those of us over 60.That would kill two birds with one stone(no pun intended) for us older people.Save more money for corporate CEOs profits,and save the social security system more money so the politicians can dip their hands into the cookie jar,and steal more of our money.
Frankly,I am fed up with this nonsense.They harass the most vulnerable suffering ones of all,chronic pain patients.I honestly hope these these bastards one day have to live in chronic pain.To my fellow sufferers,I would suggest,if you live in a medical cannabis state,look into treating yourself,and totally reject them,the way they reject us.Also look into kratom,and other herbs that help with pain.We are Apparantley going backwards to the 19th century,where people had to treat themselves and hoped to die young.To the doctors I would suggest,band together and show some nerve,although I understand the position these thoughtless domineering people have put you in.
My forced 90 day appointment is Dec 7th,,,i fear thee exact same thing,,,The hospital my doc is out of,,,telling him,,,no-more outpatient pain managenmt,,,,in fear of the dea,,,,,Another great article,,sadly,,i will be forwarding and packeting,,,,Ill tell u what,,,if I ever won a large bit of money in the near future,,,i knowe exactly what I would use it for,,,to help all of us!!!!!!!!this is just soooo inhumane,,soooo wrong,,,i just want it to stop,,,Soo sorry for your loss of your pain medicine,,thus your ability to live a functioning life,,,i truly am sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!MARY