Pubdate: Fri, 29 Jul 2005
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2005 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Karen P. Tandy, Administrator, DEA
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1157/a09.html?98032

THE D.E.A. AND DOCTORS

To the Editor:

John Tierney (column, July 23) suggests that the Drug Enforcement 
Administration has a "new strategy" that takes aim at legitimate 
physicians. This is not the case.

Our fight against drugs has produced important results. Youth drug use has 
dropped by 17 percent over three years. The D.E.A. has increased its fight 
against the diversion of legal drugs to combat growing prescription drug 
abuse, evidenced by the fact that almost one out of every 10 high school 
seniors has abused prescription drugs.

Doctors are a small part of the problem, with the D.E.A. investigating less 
than 0.1 percent of doctors last year and prosecuting only 12 of the more 
than 600,000 registered doctors.

The doctors we investigate and prosecute commit criminal acts like writing 
fraudulent prescriptions to support their own substance abuse, exchanging 
prescriptions for sexual favors or monetary kickbacks, or gross 
overprescribing that results in grave harm to patients.

Mr. Tierney doesn't mention those doctors, whom the D.E.A. must prevent 
from doing harm. It is incorrect to suggest the D.E.A.'s motives involve 
anything other than its responsibility to protect the public.

Karen P. Tandy

Administrator

Drug Enforcement Administration

Arlington, Va.
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