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In an effort to curb opioid drug abuse and addiction, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued new rules that limit the accessibility of hydrocodone, putting chronic pain sufferers who rely on the drug in an impossible situation. The DEA’s new restrictions come after the decision to relabel hydrocodone as a Schedule II drug, making…
by Lynn Webster, MD The Problems of Opioids During roughly the past two decades there have been significant increases in the prescription of opioid analgesics for helping millions of patients with pain disorders. At the same time, the United States is in the midst of an epidemic of misuse of these drugs and related abuse,…
Question #6: Why has the CDC not recognized pain as an epidemic but says opioids should not be used for chronic non-cancer pain? Dr. Lynn Webster [Dr. Webster]: Hello, this is Dr. Lynn Webster. Thank you for listening to the Pain Topics series of interviews on LynnWebsterMD.com. Today I am joined by Dr. Steve Passik…
Question #5: Can you tell me what a pain specialist is and what training should be required for a pain doctor? Dr. Lynn Webster [Dr. Webster]: Hello, this is Dr. Lynn Webster. Thank you for listening to the Pain Topics series of interviews on LynnWebsterMD.com. Today I am back with Dr. Steven Passik to…
Question #4: Can you envision a cultural transformation as called for by the Institute of Medicine? Dr. Lynn Webster [Dr. Webster]: Hello, this is Dr. Lynn Webster. Thank you for listening to the Pain Topics series of interviews on LynnWebsterMD.com. Today I am back with Dr. Steve Passik to continue our discussion. Dr. Passik is…
Question #3: Why do you think the US and Canada use so many more opioids than other countries? Dr. Lynn Webster [Dr. Webster]: This is Dr. Lynn Webster. Thank you for listening to the Pain Topics series of interviews on LynnWebsterMD.com. I am back with Dr. Steve Passik to ask him another question which many…
Question #1: What do you see as the principal obstacles for people in pain to be treated with dignity? Dr. Lynn Webster [Dr. Webster]: Hello, this is Dr. Lynn Webster, and I thank you for listening to this inaugural Q&A series on LynnWebsterMD.com. Today I am with Dr. Steve Passik, a clinical psychologist and a…
Individuals who suffer from severe chronic pain are caught in a double bind. Opioids contribute to the enormous societal harms of unintentional overdose, diversion and addiction, and data on their long-term effectiveness are conflicting and inadequate (Chou R, Turner JA, Devine EB, et al. The effectiveness and risks of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain:…
Q: Has there been a change in the major concerns of people in pain over the past several years? If so, what are those changes? Paul Gileno: Sadly, YES! What I have seen as Founder and President of US Pain, and as an experienced person with pain — and what we hear from people with…
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