Pain Care Is Legal Web Site Fighting daily for Pain Patient Rights.

[UglyGreed]

There is a war on pain patients, by the DEA, currently under way in this country. The DEA has become so overzealous in their crusade against narcotic pain relievers that they are harming the very people that this medicine was designed to help. They have ignored the rule of unintended consequences despite calls from the American Medical Association, National Community Pharmacists Association, and a slew of patients, doctors, pharmacies, and manufacturers. Meanwhile the DEA staunchly maintains that it is only trying to prevent diversion of these narcotics to drug dealers and drug abusers and that any issues are the fault of pharmacies and doctors. That is simply not true. The facts speak for themselves.

Every day it gets harder and harder to fill legitimate prescriptions for law abiding pain patients.
Every day there are new insurance rules, new pharmacy rules, and new doctor rules supposedly aimed at preventing divergence that make it harder on the patient.
Every day more and more pharmacies, manufacturers, and doctors are being forced out of business for minor infractions and rule technicalities by the DEA.
Every day the balance of whether it's easier and cheaper to get legal prescription medications versus illegal becomes more in favor of illegal. The DEA is pushing us towards becoming criminals instead of the other way around.
This website is a call to action. I want everyone that struggles to find doctors, pharmacists, and prescriptions to stand up and do something about it. If we do not fight this issue together we will lose it alone.... and in pain.

There are many other websites and news articles that discuss this issue, but none that provide clear and specific directions on what to do about it. This one does. I urge you to please review our section labeled 'What Can I Do?' and help us win this war.

http://www.paincareislegal.com/

[silverweb]

1. Very important for people to know this.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I manage an apartment complex that houses approximately 60% elderly and/or disabled. I know that some are in constant pain and are not getting adequate pain relief.

One man, in particular, has a new doctor who is so rigid that she stopped his Norco, won't allow him any narcotic use at all, and said he shouldn't even take ibuprofen or acetaminophen (which is in the Norco he used to take).

He does have medical issues that would restrict his use of over-the-counter pain relievers, but something so he can get more than 3 hours of sleep once in a while would benefit him greatly. Lack of decent rest is a greater danger to his health than the risk of occasional mild kidney/liver toxicity. He really needs an opiate at night, but she won't allow it.

I suggested he start looking for another doctor, but with the current restrictions, I'm not sure he'll get any real relief from anyone. It's hard to see people suffer unnecessarily because of stupid laws.

[UglyGreed]

2. Thank you the reply

and the Rec. If you do not see it or feel it, it does not exist.

[midnight]

3. I have just become familiar with those who are profiting from this tragedy-Ameritox

Here in Wisconsin Pain clinics test patients with this company-Ameritox http://www.ameritox.com/

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2006-02-21/news/0602210036_1_kronmiller-quest-diagnostics-
test-results


Kickback Schemes “Rampant”

The Calloway settlement is the seventh resulting from Massachusetts’ investigation of drug test labs. Another national laboratory, Ameritox, agreed to pay $16.3 million in fines to the federal government to settle claims that it gave kickbacks to doctors. A lawsuit filed by a whistleblower claimed that Ameritox employees handled urine collection in doctors’ offices and automatically sent samples to their labs without waiting for a physician’s request.

According to a recent study, the number of drug screening tests billed to Medicare by family practice doctors soared from a few dozen in 2000 to over a quarter of a million tests by 2009. Many doctors who treat chronic pain patients require them to submit to random drug screens as a condition for receiving prescription pain medications.

http://pathologyblawg.com/pathology-news/pathology-law/healthcare-fraud-pathology/kickbacks-and-other-abuses-rampant-in-drug-testing-industry-american-news-report/

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/corporate/drug-testing-company-to-pay-

Prosecutors said Ameritox faced allegations that it made cash payments to doctors to win their Medicare business.

In a statement, the company said the money was for administrative work "related to specimen processing for Ameritox's specialized testing." The company said it voluntarily stopped that program in 2005, before the federal investigation.

The federal government will receive nearly $15.5 million of the settlement. Maul's portion comes out of the federal share. Florida, Texas and Massachusetts will split $814,000.

Ameritox said it settled the suit so it could focus on the "pain medication monitoring needs of its customers" and help them achieve optimal patient outcomes.

The company does business with 10,000 doctors and 2 million patients in 48 states. It said the settlement will have "no impact on Ameritox's commitment to customers or any of the services it currently provides."http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/corporate/drug-testing-company-to-pay-

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/corporate/drug-testing-company-to-pay-163-million-to-settle-kickback-claims/1134676

[UglyGreed]

6. Thanks for the link

I myself have been tested by Ameritox here in NY but I did not know about the scandal.

[midnight]

10. Your welcome. I wonder how many folks have had their lives negatively impacted by these

bribes and profiteers.

[silverweb]

7. Figures.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]When in doubt about anything in this country, look for who's profiting. It sure isn't our populace.

[marle35]

4. The website looks excellent

Excellent on the facts. I recommend adding a 'Testimonials' section, to help people understand the toll this is taking on everyday lives.

I hope you get the assistance you need, including Search Engine Optimization like is mentioned in the 'What Can I Do' section.

[UglyGreed]

5. Thank you for the reply

but just in case I have misled anyone the web site is not mine. The brave person who created the web site is David Johnson, part of his story is in the link below.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/health/2015/05/05/prescription-for-pain-patients-denied-medication/26907611/

[marle35]

8. My mistake

Oddly, he doesn't include contact information on his website. So I searched him and sent him a message on his Google+ page.

This is an important issue so I'm glad to bump this thread again.

[UglyGreed]

9. No problem

at all I just did not want to take credit for someone else's work.

[midnight]

11. I agree.