The enemy of my enemy is my friend is an ancient proverb which suggests that two opposing parties can or should work together against a common enemy.
The chronic pain community has basically TWO ENEMIES … the DEA and the various healthcare corporation.
No one is every going to get a mussel on the DEA. Whoever believes that they can take on the DEA with the DOJ having “hot & cold running attorneys” to defend the agency – IS A FOOL !
The various healthcare corporations would probably rather not be a enemy of the community, but they fear the consequences of the DEA and how they can fabricate facts and invoke massive fines for the violation of the laws that those fabricated facts alleged.
Most all of those healthcare corporations have “deep pockets” and law firms like to go after corporations that have deep pockets and have done harm to many people.
These corporations are attempting to keep the DEA at bay by providing corporate policies and procedures that they can document that they are following the CDC opiate guidelines… hoping to avoid massive fines.
These corporations are going so far that they are dictating to employee prescribers as to what controlled substances – in particular – they can/can’t prescribe to pts. These healthcare corporations encompasses hospitals, office practices, insurance/PBM, chain pharmacies.
How can the community turn these enemies into friends ? Perhaps one way is get them to fear the community as much or more than they do the DEA. The community does this by SUING THEIR ASSES and get large settlements and make them part with one of their favorite assets – THEIR DEEP POCKETS.
It is reasonable to expect that these corporations spend a lot of money on political elections and lobbying. If they fear the community… they may chose to spend some/much of that money on influencing Congress, bureaucrats and politicians that the DEA is causing harm and discrimination to the community.
While we may not turn a “enemy” into a friend… most of the community would welcome them to become a ally in our fight to get the DEA out of our healthcare.
It is claimed that there is NINE MILLION/day spent on lobbying the 535 members of Congress… and this continues to happen every year… so it must work.
These corporations needed to be targeted for discrimination under the ADA and Civil Rights Act. We are never going to talk about MALPRACTICE lawsuit… no one will every find a law firm to represent anyone in the community.
The best pts will be those who have been on stable pain management and per corporate policies the corporate employee has reduced/eliminated their pain management and they have lost a job, became house, chair, bed confined and their quality of life is now in the CRAPPER ! The more pts being impacted by a single corporations the better.
If a pt calls a law firm.. do not even discuss MALPRACTICE… that is a no winner… it becomes a he said/she said… the defendant will hire a expert to testify that the pt’s care was meeting standard of care and best practices and the plaintiff will hire a expert that said they didn’t. Besides, most states have caps on malpractice awards that most law firms will not come out financially when taking a case on a contingency basis even if they win.
Filed under: General Problems
I AM very sorry for the reported 56,000 people that lost their lives in 2015 to “overdose”. I believe this number is what is being reported. I am VERY SORRY for the parents of the minors and young adults that took Grandmas and Grandpas pain medication and experimented with their MEDICATION along with other substances, illicit substances,inclusive of taxed alcohol and had bad outcomes. I REALLY am but, what of the reported millions of patients that have used their MEDICATION, yes, “opioid” medication for years and decades to say….continue earning money to live on, have “some” type social interaction whether it be with our children, friends and attending our church services? This is no longer possible with the “guideline” and 90 milligrams of “morphine equivalent” for one and all regardless of our documented success with in excess of 90 mme. Covid-19 is causing people to “social distance”, quarantine themselves and use guidelines for safety to protect themselves from…Covid-19. Hell, we, pain management patients with KNOWN generating diseases and other issues that are KNOWN to cause pain, for life were “forced” to quarantine ourselves from basic functions in life now since the 2016 “guideline” became LAW! I personally have been quarantined from life for over 3 years now and it looks like I am to be quarantined from life…..for the rest of my life. This along with my wife of 41 years who IS “sick” and needs pain MEDICATION in a dosage that actually would allow her to “get out of bed”! Does ANY of my “representatives” in DC listen to our story of how damaging, 90 mme , MAX is causing? Hell No! Most of us can not “March on Washington”. The perfect storm brewed by DEA! Just “my opinion”!.