Thirty attorneys general speak out on pain management!To: The Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was established in 1973 by President richard m. nixon as part of the Justice Department, thus uniting a number of federal drug agencies that had often worked at cross-purposes. (DEA DEA - Data Encryption Algorithm ) From: The National Association of Attorneys General The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) is an organization in the United States of U.S. state Attorneys General which, according to the organization itself, " January 19, 2005 We, the undersigned un·der·signed adj. 1. Having signatures or a signature at the bottom or end. Used of documents. 2. Signed or having signed at the bottom or end of a document: Attorneys General, write to express our concern about recent DEA actions with respect to prescription pain medication policy end to request a joint meeting with you ... The National Association oF Attorneys General in 2003 adopted a Resolution Calling For a Balanced Approach to Promoting Pain Relief and Preventing Abuse of Pain Medications. Both these documents reflected a consensus among law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is a term used to describe any agency which enforces the law. This may be a local or state police, federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). , health care practitioners, and patient advocates that the prevention of drug abuse is an important societal goal that can and should be pursued without hindering proper patient care. The iDEA Pain Guidelines] issued in 2004 appeared to be consistent with these principles, so we were surprised when they were withdrawn. The Interim Policy published on November 16, 2004 emphasizes enforcement, and seems likely to have a chilling effect on physicians engaged in the legitimate practice of medicine ... We have learned that adequate pain management is often difficult to obtain because many physicians fear investigations and enforcement actions iF they prescribe adequate levels of opioids or have many patients with prescriptions for pain medications. We are working to address these concerns while ensuring that individuals who do divert or abuse drugs are prosecuted ... We hope that together we can find ways to prevent abuse and diversion without infringing on the legitimate practice oF medicine or exerting a chilling eFFect on the willingness of physicians to treat patients who are in pain... We hope to meet with you soon. Sincerely, Attorneys General of: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). , Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, OKlahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island Rhode Island, island, United States Rhode Island, island, 15 mi (24 km) long and 5 mi (8 km) wide, S R.I., at the entrance to Narragansett Bay. It is the largest island in the state, with steep cliffs and excellent beaches. , South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia www.CommonSenseDrugPolicy.org, www.DrugWarFacts.org Mike Gray, Chair; Robert Field, Co-Chair See the full letter at www.csdp.org/naagletter.htm |
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