Five Consequential Issues for People with Pain in 2018

Five Consequential Issues for People with Pain in 2018

As 2018 comes to a close, I have reflected on legislation, polices, and a critical report that will likely continue to have an impact on the pain community in 2019. In no particular order, I have listed 5 issues that I feel were highly consequential for 2018. 1. CMS Decides to Impose Opioid Limits Beginning…

Read More

American Society of Anesthesiologists Oppose Oregon’s Opioid Prescribing Proposal

anesthesiologist

Oregon Chronic Pain Task Force’s Proposal I previously posted a letter written by Dr. Sean Mackey that discusses the problem with the Oregon Chronic Pain Task Force’s proposal that would leave many Medicaid patients without adequate pain therapy. The proposal would force providers to lower, or eliminate, the use of opioids despite the benefits patients…

Read More

The 2018 Farm Bill Changes Everything for Hemp

hemp

Farming Hemp May Be Legal Congress just reached an agreement on the 2018 Farm Bill that could make farming hemp in the United States legal for the first time in nearly a century. The legislation has had bipartisan support. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is a cosponsor of the legislation. It has been a major goal…

Read More

Oregon Chronic Pain Task Force Revised Proposal Regarding Opioids

pain patient

A Painful Proposal Unfortunately, according to the Portland Business Journal, the scaled-back Oregon opioid proposal has moved closer to reality. The Task Force has taken a very harsh position for prescribing opioids to control pain in the Medicaid population. Potentially, the proposal could hurt 1 million Oregonians who are in that position. Response to Oregon…

Read More

Should Access to Scientific Research Be Free?

journals

Federally-Funded Research Might Someday Be Free A New Scientist article by Graham Lawton predicts that, by January 1, 2030, all biomedical research will be free to read. That might be an overly ambitious goal. It might not be a good idea, either. If research is federally funded, then perhaps — as Boingboing suggests — the…

Read More