New blood test for fibromyalgia is 99% accurate Everyone needs to know if it is a mold fungus treatment.

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Pharmaciststeve

New blood test for fibromyalgia is 99% accurate Everyone needs to know if it is a mold fungus treatment.

http://daily.allabouthealtips.com/2020/01/01/new-blood-test-for-fibromyalgia-is-99-accurate-everyone-needs-to-know-if-it-is-a-mold-fungus-treatment/

A new blood test for fibromyalgia is more accurate than expected and will not confuse the chronic pain disorder with other diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, according to the doctor who developed the test.

“We found no overlap between biomarkers of fibromyalgia and the immune system profiles of patients with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. This has the effect of exhaling the minds of opponents, “said Bruce Gillis, MD, founder and CEO of EpicGenetics, a bioresearch company based in Santa Monica, California.

A new blood test for fibromyalgia is more accurate than expected and will not confuse the chronic pain disorder with other diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, according to the doctor who developed the test.

“We found no overlap between biomarkers of fibromyalgia and the immune system profiles of patients with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. This has the effect of exhaling the minds of opponents, “said Bruce Gillis, MD, founder and CEO of EpicGenetics, a bioresearch company based in Santa Monica, California.

EpicGenetics launched the FM test in March, calling it the first definitive blood test for fibromyalgia, a misunderstood condition characterized by deep tissue pain, fatigue, headache, depression and lack of sleep. Test results are usually available in about a week.

The FM test looks for protein molecules in the blood, the so-called chemokines and cytokines, which are produced by white blood cells. According to Gillis, fibromyalgia patients have fewer chemokines and cytokines in their blood and therefore have a weaker immune system than normal patients.

Critics have indicated that the same biomarkers of the immune system can be found in people with other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, making the blood test unreliable.

In a new research involving more than 300 patients with fibromyalgia, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, Gillis said only fibromyalgia patients had lower chemokines and cytokines than normal.

“They do not have the same biomarkers of the immune system. Not at all, “Gillis told the National Pain Report. “The models we see in lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, we see this inflammatory process. However, we do not see the same biomarkers in fibromyalgia. “

Gillis said the research is complete and he hopes that it will be published in a medical journal in the coming months.

When the FM test was introduced, EpicGenetics said it was 93% accurate in diagnosing fibromyalgia. Gillis says the sensitivity of the test is now estimated at 99%, which is about the same as the test used to diagnose HIV.

Dr. Bruce Gillis

According to estimates by the National Institutes of Health, 5 million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia – and millions worldwide – but so far only a few hundred have signed up for the FM test. According to Gillis, the cost of $ 744, which is not normally covered by health insurance, could be an obstacle for many patients.

“Many people diagnosed with fibromyalgia do not work. And because they do not work, they can not afford to pay for a test. They are not health insured, “Gillis said, adding that some insurers paid the test in compensation cases for employees.
“When we started it cost us $ 12,500 to analyze the parameters of a patient’s immune system. So we lowered prices, very low. “

Gillis hopes to lower the price of the FM test by allowing other laboratories with analytical balances to collect blood and send blood samples to EpicGenetics.

Regardless of the cost, patients with fibromyalgia are excited that eventually a simple test is available to diagnose a disorder in which their physicians and relatives are often skeptical. The diagnosis of an average patient with fibromyalgia takes three to five years.

“Having a reliable blood marker will more than just confirm us as a patient. It will open a field full of dreams and opportunities for compassionate researchers to define this terrible disorder, “said Celeste Cooper, a fibromyalgic patient.

“Once we have a biological test, we will know that the study participants have fibromyalgia. There will be no twisted results and the discussion of the mental illness will take place in our examination mirror. It’s a tasty thought. “

There have been several potential breakthroughs in fibromyalgia research in recent months.

Ohio state researchers are in the early stages of developing another type of blood test for fibromyalgia. Using a high-power infrared microscope, they identified a model of molecules in the blood that seems unique to fibromyalgia patients.

Another research team in the state of New York has discovered that fibromyalgia has excessive sensory nerve fibers in the blood vessels of their hands that can disrupt blood flow throughout the body.

“In less than six months, we have received two studies that report a successful analysis of fibromyalgia using blood markers. Now he appears to be entering an area that transcends more than one debate,” says Cooper.

“This is a victory for the scientific community and a victory for the patient. I doubt that this is the last one. Expect more research during the race and what a glorious race it will be for those of us who live with fibromyalgia every day. “

The research could also lead to the discovery of a genetic marker for fibromyalgia – a gene that increases the likelihood of disease in some people.

EpicGenetics is rescuing numerous blood samples from patients who have passed the FM test, hoping one day to examine them for RiboNucleicAcid (RNA), molecules involved in protein synthesis, and the transmission of genetic information.

reference: http://usahealthynews.online/2019/01/05/new-blood-test-for-fibromyalgia-is-99-accurate-everyone-needs-to-know-if-it-is-a-mold-fungus-treatment/

Filed under: General Problems | Leave a Comment »

Coronavirus in NY: Pharmacists blast Walgreens, CVS for lack of protections

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Pharmaciststeve

Coronavirus in NY: Pharmacists blast Walgreens, CVS for lack of protections

https://nypost.com/2020/03/21/coronavirus-in-ny-pharmacists-blast-walgreens-cvs-for-lack-of-protections/

Pharmacists working at chain drug stores in the city are blasting Walgreens and CVS, saying the corporations have done little to protect their employees during the raging coronavirus pandemic.

A veteran pharmacist who has worked at a Staten Island Walgreens for more than 25 years told The Post the company has provided little guidance for coping with COVID-19.

She said Friday her store had yet to be deep-cleaned and there is no hand sanitizer for employees.

“Thousands of people are coming into the store and touching the pin-pads and there is nothing to clean them with,” said the pharmacist, who did not want to be identified for fear of losing her job.

“I don’t understand why doctors and nurses are having their temperatures taken before they go to a hospital, but there are no precautions for us who have to deal with sick people all day long.”

The pharmacist said she was worried that if an employee gets sick, “they will have to quarantine all of us and there will be no one left to work.”

Her fears were echoed in an online Facebook support group where pharmacists from across the country wrote about similar concerns at drug stores owned by Walgreens and CVS Health. The chains are by far the largest. There are 9,277 Walgreens stores and 9,967 CVS pharmacies across the country, serving millions of people.

“I am writing now to tell you that now more than ever, it is evident that Walgreens … cares about nothing more than profit,” said an anonymous pharmacist “in the trenches in NY” on the “Pharmacy Staff for COVID-19 Support” group on Facebook.

“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, I can honestly say that we have received ZERO guidance from the higher-ups and NOTHING has been done to help protect employees or our patients,” said the pharmacist, who claimed to have been working at a city Walgreens for the last five years.

“There are no extra hours allocated to sanitizing anything in the store or the pharmacy.”

But a spokeswoman for Walgreens, which also runs Duane Reade pharmacies, said that as of last week the company has started to reduce operating hours at their drug stores to allow for cleaning and stocking shelves.

“As the situation evolves, we are actively reviewing our policies, procedures and operations to promote the safety and well being of our team members and customers,” said spokeswoman Margaret Sheehan.A keypad at Walgreens in the Bronx.

J.C. Rice

A spokesman for CVS Health told The Post Thursday that the company is “prioritizing” masks “for store and pharmacy employees in markets that have the highest incidences of COVID-19 diagnoses and we continue to work with suppliers to source additional masks in the face of never-before-seen disruptions to the medical supply chain.” 

But the Staten Island pharmacist said only few things had changed at her location.

As of last Thursday, “the only steps they took was that they marked lines on the floor six feet apart so that customers could wait six feet apart on line in accordance with CDC guidelines.”

The company had not provided masks or sanitizer for employees, she told The Post.

Last week more than 6,200 pharmacists signed a change.org petition demanding that CVS and other chain pharmacies convert to drive-thru facilities during the pandemic.

“Like many other healthcare professionals, pharmacy employees are being put at risk with the coronavirus situation,” the petition said.

“Let’s get the corporate chains to do more than provide their employees with more than a few cans of Lysol.”

Filed under: General Problems | Leave a Comment »

Dr. Thomas Kline, MD, PhD: Medical Myths Revealed Myth 17: 90 mg dose limit on opioids will save lives

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Pharmaciststeve

90 mg doses limits are a death sentence for 10 million people across the US. This dose is enough a 10 year old, not an adult.

Filed under: General Problems | Leave a Comment »

Opinion: Pharmacy Chains are Failing to Protect Their Employees and Communities from COVID-19

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Pharmaciststeve

Opinion: Pharmacy Chains are Failing to Protect Their Employees and Communities from COVID-19

https://www.pharmacistanonymous.com/post/opinion-pharmacy-chains-covid-19

We all know masks, sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and other PPE (personal protective equipment) are in short supply, and that they are desperately needed in hospitals across America (and the world).

But we also know that many businesses have voluntarily made drastic changes to their daily operations during this unprecedented time and have pulled off Herculean efforts to continue providing services, while still minimizing human exposure.

That’s great right?

Certainly!

It’s wonderful to see people being resourceful and innovative and generous in times of need.

But why are businesses like restaurants, banks, and office-based companies all able to figure out ways to provide their services and get work done when life is no longer “business as usual”, yet for some reason healthcare workers on the front lines in communities across America are being denied extremely SIMPLE and AVAILABLE means of protection?

That’s right, we may not have PPE, but we have something even better!

Solid. Plexiglass. Windows.

The vast majority of today’s pharmacies have drive thru and delivery options available, and in the face of a severe lack of PPE, compounded by exposure to hundreds of patients every day, pharmacy workers should be permitted to run their stores as drive-thru, delivery, and curbside only institutions, as a method of protecting both workers AND patients from transmission in either direction. And many of them are already doing so, if they run their own pharmacies. Make sure you are giving your employee rewards for all the hard work and efforts they put in.

The problem is, we’ve utterly destroyed independent pharmacy in America, so most pharmacists are forced to work for giant corporations, which do not allow them independence, often in spite of state laws forbidding interference in the professional judgement of a licensed pharmacist.

We are being told by our employers that we are “not front-line healthcare providers” and that “our risk stratification is low”, in spite of this data drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics and reported by the New York Times. See the image below for a visualization of our occupational hazard. We are there just next to nurses. Additionally, see OSHA’s description of risk stratification, which would place community pharmacists squarely in the Medium Risk category (see page 20 for description of category, and page 21 for recommendations for that category).

New York Times estimates the health risk for various professions in this pandemic based on Exposure to Diseases and Physical Proximity to Others

The only thing left for us as pharmacists to do is appeal to the public. This is not my petition, but I implore you to please share and sign.

Make pharmacies drive thru only during the corona crisis

We as pharmacists WANT to stay open and care for our communities. But when we go down, there isn’t anyone waiting in the wings to take our place. There are a limited number of people in any given community who are legally licensed and trained to safely perform a pharmacist’s duties right now.

That means there is no one there to dispense life-saving medications to our communities when we fall ill.

Things like:

-Insulins

-Blood pressure medicines

-Inhalers and nebulized medicines for asthma and COPD

-Diabetes medicines

-Antibiotics

-Antivirals

-Antipsychotics

-Seizure medications

-and many, many more, which all require a pharmacist to be safely dispensed. In the interest of keeping pharmacies OPEN to serve our communities as long as they need us, corporate pharmacy supervisors need to take up the mantle of true leadership and make the difficult decisions to make radical preparations that will impact workflows and make pharmacies “less convenient” in the short-term, in order to keep them OPEN in the long-term. So: again, I call on Leaders in Pharmacy: LEAD! They won’t do it without outside pressure.

WE must create the pressure. Make pharmacies drive thru only during the corona crisis

#pharmacistanonymous #COVID19 #drivethrudistancing #deliveryplease #communityhealth #pharmacycarematters #medicationsafety #publichealth #flattenthecurve #PharmacistsCare

Filed under: General Problems | Leave a Comment »

Could this be a “cure” for COVID-19 ? IMO – no harm – no foul exercise !

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Pharmaciststeve

https://youtu.be/_JSsd-TYqOA

Dr. Dan Lee Dimke PHD,& author poses a theory that this outbreak of Covid-19 can be treated using the Cold Arrest procedure to speed up the recovery process for those contracting it. He details his methods,& explains why they should work from a point of medical fact. Watch for yourselves,& make your own judgements. If he’s right,one thing those of you with sense know is Big Pharma is damn sure NOT going to tell you about it! Dr. Dimke holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of the State of New York as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Information Technology and a Doctoral Degree in Education with a specialization in Psycholinguistics from Southwest University. #Covid19 #HealthInformation Future World Source Article: https://future-world.com/mcatalog/sto…

Filed under: General Problems | 5 Comments »

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy issues stay-at-home order for nearly all of state’s 9M residents.. Is Martial Law next ?

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Pharmaciststeve

See the source image

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy issues stay-at-home order for nearly all of state’s 9M residents

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-jersey-gov-phil-murphy-issues-stay-home-order-nearly-n1165661

“We must flatten the curve and ensure residents are practicing social distancing,” the governor said in announcing the sweeping mandate.

The governor of New Jersey on Saturday issued a stay-at-home order for nearly all of the state’s 9 million residents in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.

Similar sweeping mandates have been made in California, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania.

“We must flatten the curve and ensure residents are practicing social distancing,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in announcing the new restrictions. But, he added, “Even with this order in effect … life in New Jersey does not have to come to a complete standstill.”

The governor told residents not to panic, but, he said, “We’re at war.”

Starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, New Jersey residents must stay home and all nonessential businesses have to close indefinitely. All gatherings including weddings, in-person services and parties, are canceled until further notice, Murphy said.

Businesses considered essential that can remain open include grocery stores and pharmacies, gas stations, banks and other financial institutions and laundromats.

Employees who must report to work are encouraged to get a letter from their job indicating that they work in an “industry permitted to continue operations,” according to the state’s newly launched coronavirus website.

New Jersey had 1,327 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Saturday with 442 new positive test results since Friday. The state has had 16 deaths.

“We mourn the tragic loss of life,” the governor said.

But, he said, “The increase in the positive test results is completely expected” due to the state’s aggressive testing.

The more information the state has the better able it is to “break the back of this virus,” Murphy said.

New Jersey’s announcement comes after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday ordered his state’s nearly 13 million residents to stay home. He said at a press conference that he did not come to the decision easily.

“I fully recognize that in some cases, I am choosing between saving people’s lives and saving people’s livelihood,” he said. “But ultimately you can’t have a livelihood if you don’t have your life.”

Pritzker said residents will be able to leave their homes to buy food, or pick up a prescription at the pharmacy and can go out for a walk.

He said the goal of the stay-at-home order is for people to maintain social distancing and for those who have already taken precautions their lives “will not change very much.” The order is expected to become effective Saturday evening and will remain in place until April 7 but could go longer, Pritzker said.

Also on Friday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all nonessential businesses to cease operating outside the home and put new requirements in place for people over 70 or with underlying health conditions to avoid public transportation and stay home except for solitary exercise.

The requirements also urge New Yorkers to practice social distancing and to stay in their homes as much as possible.

“Your actions can affect my health, that is where we are,” Cuomo said at a press conference.

Coronavirus cases in New York surged to more than 10,000 with 6,211 cases in New York City alone, Cuomo said Saturday. According to the governor, cases are slowing in Westchester County but are growing on Long Island.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom also issued such an order, which went into effect Thursday night and will remain in place until further notice. It says residents should leave their homes only when necessary.

In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered that all businesses that are not “life-sustaining” close.

Image: Minyvonne BurkeMinyvonne Burke

Filed under: General Problems | 1 Comment »

Study Suggests Digestive Symptoms May Be Associated with COVID-19

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Pharmaciststeve

Study Suggests Digestive Symptoms May Be Associated with COVID-19

https://www.drugtopics.com/latest/study-suggests-digestive-symptoms-may-be-associated-covid-19

A recent study from China found that diarrhea was a prominent symptom among up to half of patients with COVID-19 during the outbreak in Wuhan.

The study, which was published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, was conducted by researchers from the Wuhan Medical Treatment Expert Group for COVID-19.1

Although patients with COVID-19 most commonly present with respiratory symptoms, approximately half of patients in the Wuhan outbreak presented with digestive symptoms as their chief complaint, according to the findings.

Patients involved in the study presented to 3 hospitals from January 18 to February 28, 2020. All patients were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR and were analyzed for clinical characteristics, laboratory data, and treatment. Data were followed up until March 5, 2020.

Overall, data from 204 patients were analyzed for the current study. The average age was 54.9 years old. In total, 48.5% presented to the hospital with digestive symptoms as their chief complaint.

The study also showed that those with digestive symptoms had a significantly longer time from onset to admission than patients without digestive symptoms (9 days versus 7.3 days, respectively).

“Clinicians should recognize that digestive symptoms, such as diarrhea, may be a presenting feature of COVID-19, and that the index of suspicion may need to be raised earlier in at-risk patients presenting with digestive symptoms rather than waiting for respiratory symptoms to emerge.” the researchers wrote in the study.1

Patients who experienced digestive symptoms had a variety of manifestations, including anorexia (83.8%), diarrhea (29.3%), vomiting (.08%), and abdominal pain (0.4%). As the severity of the disease increased, digestive symptoms became more pronounced. Seven patients from the study with COVID-19 presented with digestive symptoms, but no respiratory symptoms.

Additionally, patients without digestive symptoms were more likely to be cured and discharged than patients with digestive symptoms (60% versus 34.3%), according to the data. Overall, laboratory data demonstrated no significant liver injury, although other studies have indicated signs of liver involvement. The researchers noted that more research is needed to understand the effect of COVID-19 on liver function.

“In this study, COVID-19 patients with digestive symptoms have a worse clinical outcome and higher risk of mortality compared to those without digestive symptoms, emphasizing the importance of including symptoms like diarrhea to suspect COVID-19 early in the disease course before respiratory symptoms develop,” Brennan MR Spiegel, MD, MSHS, FACG, co-editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, said in a press release about the study.2 “This may lead to earlier diagnosis of COVID-19, which can lead to earlier treatment and more expeditious quarantine to minimize transmission from people who otherwise remain undiagnosed.”

Filed under: General Problems | Leave a Comment »

CDC overdose death reports continue to “muddy the results” because the “truthful numbers” doesn’t support the opiate crisis agenda ?

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Pharmaciststeve

CDC: Opioid Overdose Deaths Fall

https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/opioids/85523

Overdose deaths involving all opioids, prescription opioids, and heroin dropped in 2018 from the previous year, new CDC data showed.

Deaths that involved synthetic opioids, however, continued to climb and accounted for two-thirds of opioid-related deaths in 2018, reported Nana Wilson, PhD, of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control in Atlanta, and co-authors.

“Decreases in overdose deaths involving prescription opioids and heroin reflect the effectiveness of public health efforts to protect Americans and their families,” CDC Director Robert Redfield, MD, said in a statement.

“While we continue work to improve those outcomes, we are also addressing the increase in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids,” he added.

The findings come from an analysis of the latest available drug overdose death data and were published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The analysis showed that 67,367 drug overdose deaths occurred in 2018 — a 4.1% decline from 2017 — and 46,802 of these deaths involved an opioid.

From 2017 to 2018, overdose deaths involving prescription opioids fell 13.5%. Heroin overdose deaths fell 4.1%, and deaths involving all opioids fell 2%.

“Efforts to reduce high-dose opioid prescribing have increased and have contributed to decreases in prescription opioid-involved deaths,” Wilson and co-authors noted.

Deaths involving synthetic opioids (excluding methadone) increased 10% from 2017 to 2018. Synthetic opioids were involved in 31,335 deaths, or nearly half of all overdose deaths in 2018.

“Increases in synthetic opioid-involved deaths are likely driven by proliferation of illicitly manufactured fentanyl or fentanyl analogs in the illicit drug supply,” the researchers wrote. DEA data show that fentanyl was the most identified synthetic opioid in drug seizures in the first half of 2017 and fentanyl reports in all regions increased from 2014 to 2018, they noted.

Synthetic opioid-involved death rates rose in the Northeast, South, and West and remained stable in the Midwest, the investigators added.

“Changing substance use patterns, including the resurgence of methamphetamine use, particularly among persons using opioids and the mixing of opioids with methamphetamine and cocaine in the illicit drug supply, have continued to make the drug overdose landscape more complicated and surveillance and prevention efforts more challenging,” Wilson and co-authors wrote.

The researchers identified drug overdose deaths using the National Vital Statistics System. The analysis showed that overall, overdose death rates increased among blacks, Hispanics, and people 65 and older in 2018.

The findings have several limitations, Wilson and co-authors said. Postmortem toxicology testing varied by jurisdiction, and testing improvements may have accounted for some reported increases. In addition, the percentage of 2017 and 2018 death certificates with at least one drug specified varied among states and over time.

by Judy George, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today March 19, 2020

This author wrote this report and jumped back and forth in both numbers and percentages

The analysis showed that 67,367 drug overdose deaths occurred in 2018 — a 4.1% decline from 2017 — and 46,802 of these deaths involved an opioid.

So there was 20,565 overdose deaths of NON OPIATE MEDS/DRUGS it is claimed that 15,000/yr people die from the use/abuse of NSAIDS.. from GI bleeds

Synthetic opioids were involved in 31,335 deaths… so 15,467 deaths from Heroin and pharmaceutical grade opiates. The has to be asked… how many of those 15,467 deaths were from ILLEGAL HEROIN ?

MORE PEOPLE DIED FROM NON-OPIATE MEDS/DRUGS than ILLEGAL HEROIN AND PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE OPIATES !

So abt 67 percent of all opiate involved deaths was from ILLEGAL FENTANYL DRUG  not the author’s conclusion … nearly half of all overdose deaths in 2018.

Then there is this little jewel  toxicology testing varied by jurisdiction, and testing improvements may have accounted for some reported increases.

 

 

 

Filed under: General Problems | 1 Comment »

Abt 3 million work for the federal government – fewer and fewer are interested in enforcing Federal Law.

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Pharmaciststeve

Most everyone knows that when it comes to enforcing the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and the Civil Rights Act.. you can cross https://www.ada.gov/filing_complaint.htm off the list well as those who have reached out to the ACLU https://www.aclu.org/  no matter what there excuse – inadequate funding or staffing the bottom line is a NO.

There is another federal entity that can find just another excuse to say  NO   https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/filing-a-complaint/complaint-process/index.html   I filed a complaint about how Barb was treated – or mis-treated – by a hoispitalists and when I called to check on it.. I was told that the case was CLOSED… no communication from them about it being closed.. I had to literately had to PRY the excuse out of the person I had on the phone.  They basically said that it was the provider’s professional discretion in how they treat pts…  I guess that the hospitalist was “not comfortable”

You know that everyone wants to write or email their member of Congress so I did one better a called mine’s office  https://hollingsworth.house.gov/  Talk to one the staff who talked to another office staff member more familiar with HHS/OIG.. The final conclusion is that our issue with the hospitalist is a CIVIL MATTER – hire an attorney/lawfirm.

Then there is the complaint that I filed with the QIO Quality Improvement Organizations https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/QualityImprovementOrgs  they are there to make sure the Medicare pts get proper care.  Got back a review from their physician/reviewer that was rather “damning” of the hospitalist’s care – or lack of care – that was provided Barb during her < 24 hr stay in the hospital.

But I did not read EVERY WORD of their response said that they MAY referred the complaint to the Quality Innovation Network.. https://www.lsqin.org/medicare-quality-innovation-network/   The only obligation that the hospital that this hospitalist worked for after the report from the QIO was to “retrain” the hospitalist in his short comings and the QIO had no obligation to forward the complaint on to the QIN.

So I called the QIN to see if the complaint had been forwarded to the QIN…  I found a nurse who worked there that was very understanding of how badly Barb had been treated..  She made an internal inquiry about if the complaint had to received by the QIN and as of yet … that would be a NO…

So I forwarded to her – via email – the initial complaint and the QIO’s response… She got the “excuse” that the QIN staff was “swamped” because of COVID-19 so it would take a couple of weeks, so the nurse has put a note on her calendar for April 3rd to do a follow up.

So for those of you have written your member of Congress about not getting your pain meds and you get back a letter – MAYBE – talking about the opiate crisis… that is probably because some intern in the office cut/paste some sentences/paragraphs that has the word opiate in it… Otherwise, they have no answers and they are not about to hold anyone within the Federal government accountable for not doing their job.

I have said before… and will again … one more time… anyone in the pain community wants a solution… that will come about using law firms, PR firms, and Lobbyists…  Otherwise, that leaky boat that the chronic pain community is in… the community cannot bail quick enough – keep on doing what they have been doing – it is going to sink… everyone has a life preserver – RIGHT ?

Filed under: General Problems | 2 Comments »

Dr. Thomas Kline, MD, PhD: Medical Myths Myth 16: The FDA approved a 90 mg dose in 2013

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Pharmaciststeve

They did not. It was submitted by “Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescription” (PROP) was asking the FDA to limit all doses of opioids to 90 mg. The FDA in 2013 said that the evidence was too little and to approve. and still today, the regulation agency for all prescription drugs. No one can contravention the FDA regulation opioid pain medicine or pain medicine doses, not the CDC and not the medicare admission, who believes reducing FDA doses will stop the opioid crisis. This is not true, and hasn’t been true for one thousand years.

Filed under: General Problems | 2 Comments »

« Previous Page — Next Page »