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1.) Health Care Debate in Washington
http://www.patientadvocacy.org/section_fs.htm?section=hc_debate
2.) Click: other health care issues
3.) Choose and click:
Prevent Passage of the Pain Relief Promotion Act
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 a vote in 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
( a.) that they oppose the Pain Relief Promotion Act as a stand-alone measure and
( b.) 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 ( Click on preceding words.) NOW and e-mail your representative and senators TODAY!
4.) LEGISLATIVE ALERT...Select and click:
Protect Patients' Access to Palliative Care
http://cw2k.capweb.net/patientadvocacy/
5.) Click: Take Action
6.) Click: Protect Patients' Access to Palliative Care
http://cw2k.capweb.net/patientadvocacy/letterstate.cfm
7.) Write Letter:
http://cw2k.capweb.net/patientadvocacy/letterstate.cfm
Dear (contact name will be automatically filled in here): I write to express my deep concerns regarding the Pain Relief Promotion Act (H.R. 2260 / S. 1272). Under this legislation, DEA agents would gain new federal authority to monitor and regulate physicians' clinical management of their patients' pain care. These new powers are likely to have a chilling effect on the willingness of physicians to prescribe necessary medicines to suffering patients. Legal concerns already have caused some doctors to become reluctant to prescribe powerful narcotics, even when they are medically indicated. Giving the DEA broader powers to investigate physicians will clearly exacerbate this problem, and in the end, patients will suffer. I urge you to prevent further government intrusion into the relationships of patients and their doctors. Patients 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 schooled for years to observe and address. DEA agents are trained in law enforcement, not medicine. They should dedicate that training to its intended purpose, fighting the trafficking of illegal drugs.
Please oppose the Pain Relief Promotion Act as a stand-alone measure and oppose its inclusion in any other legislation receiving consideration this year. By doing so, you will protect the rights of patients to receive the medical care that their doctors deem most effective and appropriate, preventing needless suffering and allowing limited federal law enforcement resources to be used most efficiently.
Thank you for your consideration of my concerns. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
(your name will be automatically filled in here)
8.) Click: Continue
9.) Follow instructions on each page...until your letter is sent.