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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated

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From: LindyBill	6/17/2005 4:01:02 PM
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Not a War on Doctors Via email: I am a clinical pathologist at a Veterans' Administration Medical Center. Today I had an interesting conversation with the medical director of one of our clinics. She told me that VA clinicians treating patients with chronic, moderate to severe pain are writing fewer prescriptions for Oxycontin because of DEA scrutiny. Instead, they are writing prescriptions for Methadone. Methodone is a moderately strong opioid (like oxycodone), but its use is not closely scrutinized by the DEA because it mainly has been used to wean addicts off heroin. She also told me that this practice is suboptimal, because the clinicians do not have experience using Methadone for pain and don't know the best dosages. So, even physicians working for the federal government are afraid of the DEA and are altering prescribing habits in ways that do not benefit patients. How much longer will this continue? The DEA should be completely abolished. Its mission (the "war" on drugs) was never necessary at the federal level, and it has stepped far beyond the bounds of good sense. Posted by Radley Balko theagitator.com

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