Re: Re: Re: Re: Bush policy to target prescription drugs Trackingpatients'

[Guest guest]

For those who feel strongly about this issue, I really recommend you spend

the time to write to your politicians. Politicians need to hear from the

people directly so that they can make informed decisions about the people

they represent. If you don't support this policy, say something to the

people who can make a difference. Give your input where it really counts.

It's all well and good to debate this issue on the list and complain about

it at home, but unless you make your voice heard by the politicians, it

won't do one drop of good. We live in an age where we have direct access to

our representatives. You can email them and give them your opinion as easy

as you can email the CEDA list. I encourage everyone to get involved and

contact your legislators about any issue you feel strongly about. The more

people who make their voices heard, the more our government will represent

the people. Then, if/when the politicians don't listen, vote them out. You

have to tell them what you want, otherwise they rely on the information from

their own experience. In case anyone missed it before, I am including

contact information for the President, Vice President, Senate, and House of

Representatives at the end of this email.

Now, I do agree with most of you that the policy needs to take into account

patients with Chronic Pain. I don't agree that it's a bad idea as a whole.

There IS a problem with over-prescription of narcotics and pain relievers

and doctors are not responsibly managing patients on these medications.

This may not be the answer to solve the problem, but something should be

done to help people with addictions from being abused by doctors and the

drug companies.

The drug companies don't want this legislation, they want people addicted to

pain killers because that boosts their sales. Doctors in this country are

all too happy to " throw pills " at patients because the drug companies tell

them it makes the symptoms go away. Unfortunately, all these drugs do is

mask the symptoms and do nothing to provide a solution to the underlying

problem. People eventually need more and more of it to make their pain go

away, or they become addicted to the drugs. That's what the drug companies

want - everyone on something. In 1999, there were 9 million people over the

age of 12 taking prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons! (Source:

National Institute on Drug Abuse) That's a staggering figure and it

represents a big problem.

As I said before, I agree that patients with Chronic Pain need to be

considered in the policy to prevent harm being done to those who have

legitimate use for pain killers. Where I disagree is that the intent is to

deliberately harm Chronic Pain patients. The intent is to get people off

medications who shouldn't have been on them in the first place and to stop

the profiteering of doctors and drug companies who are using addicted

patients to line their pockets.

Please, let your politicians now how this policy will affect you. Only when

they hear from Chronic Pain patients will they truly understand the need for

protecting people with Chronic Pain from being denied necessary pain

management.

Senate

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

House of Representatives

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

White House

Mailing Address

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

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President W. Bush: president@...

Vice President Cheney: vice.president@...