Valli6
08-06-2017, 12:26 PM
Gov. Chris Christie is going for another power grab by trying to convince President Trump that it's necessary to declare a national state of emergency over the "opiod crisis".
Christie is chairman of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
While much of his plan revolves around forcing insurance companies to pay for addiction treatment, his main goal seems to be getting strict contol over pain killers and how and when they are used. I'm a chronic pain patient living in NJ (don't use them constantly - not addicted) and can attest to the fact that fewer and fewer doctors are willing to prescribe pain meds because of increased liabilities.
One of my bone doctors flatout told me that they're persecuting doctors - claiming their careless prescribing is the #1 reason people get addicted - and then start using heroin! Doctors are now required to give us a "talk" with every prescription :rolleyes: (they already always warned about addiction). For years now, when I am given a prescription for an opiate, it has to have a unique bar code printed on it, and also my name goes into a data base that a doctor can check, to see whether any other doctors have given me prescriptions, and how much, how often, and when. Surely, Christie will want to make this a nationwide practice. I'd guess that AG Sessions is going to go right along with it.
The report Christie has drafted, uses very broadly based, non-specific statistics to back up his assertions, then places the blame on doctors who are legally prescribing pain medicines. He offers no evidence indicting that this is true, other than "we believe". My own experience, plus the experiences of persons I know, (including addicts and former addicts) indicate the exact opposite! I know no one who ever became addicted to legally prescribed pain killers first!
Christie and AG Sessions both have the same ignorant stance on drug use. Their beliefs are based entirely on drug-war stereotypes and propaganda. Governor Chris Christie has put absolutely ZERO thought into how patients of chronic pain will be affected. It's as if he doesn't believe they exist - or that if you aren't about to die from cancer TODAY, you have no right to use the only pain medicine that might help you!
The fact that Trump is spending the next week or so in Bedminster, NJ suggests that he and Christie may be meeting to discuss this right now - and Congress, who so often adopts that moronic attitude of "Do SOMETHING! ANYTHING!" over any perceived crisis - leads me to suspect some onerous legislation is about to be pushed through. As most of you no doubt know, this is just a vehicle for the continuation of the same old drug war.
ALSO - THE FDA IS FORCING DRUG COMPANIES TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PAIN MEDICINE MANUFACTURED!
https://www.dea.gov/divisions/hq/2016/hq100416.shtml
You know what that means - higher prices, increased black market sales and pain sufferers turning to heroin!
Patients with pain have absolutely no voice in whatever legislation they're planning!
Does anyone know of any groups or organizations that acknowledge a patient's right to effective pain relief?
Any protests? Any advocates?
(July 31, 2017)
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump should declare a national emergency and put the federal government fully behind efforts to curb opioid addiction, according to a preliminary report by the commission chaired by Gov. Chris Christie.
"By declaring this state of emergency, the president will be putting the full weight of his office behind this issue," said Christie, chairman of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
Christie said 142 Americans die every day from a drug overdose.
"To say we have a crisis here is an understatement," he said. "We are having our citizens die every day."......
...Four of every five heroin addicts began by using prescribed opiates, not by buying drug off the streets, the report said. [According to what research? How were these numbers compiled?]
"While we acknowledge that some of this inappropriate overprescribing is done illegally and for profit, we believe the overwhelming percentage is due to a lack of education on these issues in our nation's medical and dental schools and a dearth of continuing medical education for practicing clinicians," the report said.
"This can and must be solved by using presidential moral and legal authority to change this lack of education leading to addiction and death."...
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/how_christies_commission_proposed_fighting_opioid. html
Recent draft from the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/ondcp/commission-interim-report.pdf
Christie is chairman of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
While much of his plan revolves around forcing insurance companies to pay for addiction treatment, his main goal seems to be getting strict contol over pain killers and how and when they are used. I'm a chronic pain patient living in NJ (don't use them constantly - not addicted) and can attest to the fact that fewer and fewer doctors are willing to prescribe pain meds because of increased liabilities.
One of my bone doctors flatout told me that they're persecuting doctors - claiming their careless prescribing is the #1 reason people get addicted - and then start using heroin! Doctors are now required to give us a "talk" with every prescription :rolleyes: (they already always warned about addiction). For years now, when I am given a prescription for an opiate, it has to have a unique bar code printed on it, and also my name goes into a data base that a doctor can check, to see whether any other doctors have given me prescriptions, and how much, how often, and when. Surely, Christie will want to make this a nationwide practice. I'd guess that AG Sessions is going to go right along with it.
The report Christie has drafted, uses very broadly based, non-specific statistics to back up his assertions, then places the blame on doctors who are legally prescribing pain medicines. He offers no evidence indicting that this is true, other than "we believe". My own experience, plus the experiences of persons I know, (including addicts and former addicts) indicate the exact opposite! I know no one who ever became addicted to legally prescribed pain killers first!
Christie and AG Sessions both have the same ignorant stance on drug use. Their beliefs are based entirely on drug-war stereotypes and propaganda. Governor Chris Christie has put absolutely ZERO thought into how patients of chronic pain will be affected. It's as if he doesn't believe they exist - or that if you aren't about to die from cancer TODAY, you have no right to use the only pain medicine that might help you!
The fact that Trump is spending the next week or so in Bedminster, NJ suggests that he and Christie may be meeting to discuss this right now - and Congress, who so often adopts that moronic attitude of "Do SOMETHING! ANYTHING!" over any perceived crisis - leads me to suspect some onerous legislation is about to be pushed through. As most of you no doubt know, this is just a vehicle for the continuation of the same old drug war.
ALSO - THE FDA IS FORCING DRUG COMPANIES TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PAIN MEDICINE MANUFACTURED!
https://www.dea.gov/divisions/hq/2016/hq100416.shtml
You know what that means - higher prices, increased black market sales and pain sufferers turning to heroin!
Patients with pain have absolutely no voice in whatever legislation they're planning!
Does anyone know of any groups or organizations that acknowledge a patient's right to effective pain relief?
Any protests? Any advocates?
(July 31, 2017)
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump should declare a national emergency and put the federal government fully behind efforts to curb opioid addiction, according to a preliminary report by the commission chaired by Gov. Chris Christie.
"By declaring this state of emergency, the president will be putting the full weight of his office behind this issue," said Christie, chairman of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
Christie said 142 Americans die every day from a drug overdose.
"To say we have a crisis here is an understatement," he said. "We are having our citizens die every day."......
...Four of every five heroin addicts began by using prescribed opiates, not by buying drug off the streets, the report said. [According to what research? How were these numbers compiled?]
"While we acknowledge that some of this inappropriate overprescribing is done illegally and for profit, we believe the overwhelming percentage is due to a lack of education on these issues in our nation's medical and dental schools and a dearth of continuing medical education for practicing clinicians," the report said.
"This can and must be solved by using presidential moral and legal authority to change this lack of education leading to addiction and death."...
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/how_christies_commission_proposed_fighting_opioid. html
Recent draft from the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/ondcp/commission-interim-report.pdf