Sunday, May 3, 2015

Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015 - S. 483 H.R. 471 A Template Letter by Celeste Cooper


Important legislation for the pain community is upon us. Please contact your senators by following this link. http://www.senate.gov/

Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015
Senate Bill S. 483, HERE
House of Representatives Bill H.R. 471, HERE

An article on H.R. 471 in laymen s terms by PR Web, HERE


RE: Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015

S. 483 and H.R. 471

Dear Senator __________

Please support the pain community, as your constituents support you, by voting for Senate Bill 483 (S. 483) and the House of Representative Bill 471 (H.R.471).

People living with chronic pain are being greatly affected by their inability to obtain the medications they need to help them function and lead productive lives. We need collaboration between patients, law enforcement, pharmacies, prescribers, advocates, and others to address the problems of addiction, while preserving treatment options and dignity for people who live with chronic pain and manage their care responsibly, the silent majority that do not make the headlines.

Drug monitoring programs have no evidence that they are working, so why are we spending extraordinary amounts of money on these programs? Insurance carriers are refusing to pay for accurate testing, and patients cannot bear the burden of this cost. It is unethical to deny treatment because they do not have the ability to pay. We cannot keep doing the same things expecting different results. Wouldn’t this money be better spent on programs for those who live with addiction? These people are also being underserved because current treatment programs are not based on patient outcome. They are based on ability to pay.

This is just a sampling of the things that can be addressed to improve both addiction and pain care, but it cannot be accomplished without a collaborative effort. Senate Bill 483 and H.R. 471 are steps in the right direction for serving all people in need.

I look forward to hearing how you plan to support the patient community. Please feel free to contact me by phone to discuss this important issue.

Sincerely,
Ph:
Email:
Address

4 comments:

Dr Margaret Aranda said...

Suggest using Change.org to gather signatures in one place. Would think this has a higher impact, as is visible to the public. Wishing you all well. Dr. Aranda

Unknown said...

Thanks Celeste 4 all you do. I will share . low pain Sunday

deb said...

In my understanding that s 483 became law on April 19, 2016. Please clarify if I am confused.also, do you know what this means for me, a chronic pain patient who has been stable on a oxycodone dose for three years at my last pain Dr. Visit on 4-15-2016, I was told to start tapering down my mess. Does this law mean that I should be able to keep my dose that I have had for three years, and has greatly improved my quality of life?

The Pained Ink Slayer said...

Deb, you are right. This article is from 2015. TY for calling it my attention so I can update the status. It was signed/enacted last month. Unfortunately, applying the amendment to the Controlled Substance Act may be more difficult. What it does do is hold federal enforcement accountable for tracking drug diversion, AND support patient access to medications they need. For instance, law enforcement will have to show how such a law helps them with their job to secure public health and safety, yet as long as patients and physicians adhere to the law, access to medications should not be impeded. That's the way I interpret it, but I am not a lawyer. I believe the law will provide recourse with the Attorney General should patients suffer from withdrawal of care in the absence of any drug diversion activity. I get messages every single day regarding the avalanche of problems caused by the CDC guidelines. you might be interested in what is happening in Buffalo N.Y. http://www.wkbw.com/news/primary-care-doctors-turning-gosy-patients-away

Celeste's Website

Celeste's Website
Click on the picture