You see pleas on this board everyday where ARD sufferers cannot find adequate pain medication to control their pain and are seeking doctors to help releave their pain. If this Bill passes, it will be even harder for all Chronic Pain Patient's to find adequate medication. I would like to see a reply letter from everyone on this board that they have written regarding the Prevention of the Passage of the Pain Relief Promotion Act. Just post a message stating that you sent your letters in. PLEASE THIS IS URGENT! PUT THIS ON THE TOP OF YOUR LIST OF THINGS TO DO TODAY. THANK YOU, HELEN CHALMERS and HELEN DYNDA
>[] Prevent Passage of the Pain Relief Promotion Act...
>
>http://www.patientadvocacy.org/section_fs.htm?section=hc_debate
>
>BACKGROUND
>
>Under current law, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has the
>authority to enforce federal law preventing the illegal manufacturing or
>dispensing of controlled substances, but does not have the authority to
>review a physician's medical determination of what drug is most appropriate
>to alleviate a particular patient's pain. Under legislation that has
>already passed the House and that may soon come to the Senate,
>commonly known as the Pain Relief Promotion Act, DEA agents would gain new
>federal authority to monitor and regulate physicians' clinical management of
>their patients' pain care. If the DEA determines that the intent of a
>prescribing physician was not to relieve pain, but to hasten death, the
>physician would be subject to federal prosecution and a jail term of not
>less than 20 years. These new powers are likely to have a chilling effect
>on the willingness of physicians - many of whom already express reluctance
>to use powerful narcotics -- to prescribe necessary medicines to suffering
>patients.
>
>Patients must be able to select appropriate courses of care based on the
>opinion of their physicians without any outside pressure. They need to know
>that their doctors will be allowed to treat them without the constant threat
>of federal prosecution. After all, physicians' treatment determinations
>depend on numerous physical and medical factors that doctors are educated
>for years to observe and address. Law enforcement agents, while very
>effective in law enforcement activities, are unlikely to possess the
>training and knowledge to judge doctor's medical treatment decisions.
>
>Originally, this legislation was introduced to reverse an Oregon law that
>allows terminally ill patients to obtain physician-assisted suicide. Most
>groups opposing the bill, however, DO NOT SUPPORT assisted suicide. If
>Congress believes it must act on the assisted suicide issue, it should find
>a means of addressing it that does not punish patients who seek appropriate
>medical treatment for pain.
>
>Recently, the Pain Relief Promotion Act was added to tax-cut legislation and
>was approved for the second time by the House of Representatives. The
>Senate could take up this legislation AT ANY TIME. It is important to act
>now by contacting Members of Congress and the President to ask
>
>( 1.) that they oppose the Pain Relief Promotion Act as a stand-alone
>measure and
>
>( 2.) that they support removing the provisions from ANY legislation in
>which it appears in the remaining days of the 106th Congress.
>
>URGENT ACTION NEEDED!
>
>Your help is needed today to prevent Congress from passing the Pain Relief
>Promotion Act and thereby protect the rights of patients to receive the
>best, most appropriate care from their physicians without the fear of
>intervention by federal law enforcement officials. Your representative and
>senators need to hear from you. It is vital that they understand that this
>legislation would prevent patients both in their hometowns and around the
>country from receiving the medical care that they require.
>
>This year's congressional session is almost over, so please visit our
>Legislative Advocacy Center http://cw2k.capweb.net/patientadvocacy/ NOW and
>e-mail your representative and senators TODAY!
>
>~ ~ ~ ~
>
> NOTE: If the above URL was not highlighted or you prefer to go through the
>process from beginning to the end, these steps will lead you to the place
>where you can actually send your letter to your Senator(s) and
>Representative(s). PLEASE DO THIS!! YOUR INPUT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
>
>1.) Prevent Passage of the Pain Relief Promotion Act.
>
>* Enter: http://www.patientadvocacy.org/
>
>* Click: Health Care Debate in Washington
>
>* Click: other health care issues
>
>* Click: Choose: Prevent Passage of the Pain Relief Promotion Act.
>
>2.) Take Action: Legislative Alert
>
>* Enter: http://cw2k.capweb.net/patientadvocacy/
>
>* Select: Protect Patients' Access to Palliative Care
>
>* Click: Take Action
>
>2.) Select Letter:
>
>* Click: Protect Patients' Access to Palliative Care
>
>3.) Write Letter
>
>* contact name will be automatically filled in
>
>* your name will be automatically filled in
>
>* Click: Continue
>
>* Enter Info
>
>* Click: Continue
>
>4.) Choose Recipients
>
>* Click: Send
-- Helen Chalmers