Pubdate: Thu, 07 Sep 2006
Source: Register-Guard, The (OR)
Copyright: 2006 The Register-Guard
Contact:  http://www.registerguard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/362
Note: from The Washington Post
Note: Details about the DEA policy statement are at 
http://www.managingpain.org/dea0906.htm
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain)

FDA OVERTURNS ITS POLICY ON MORPHINE-BASED DRUGS

The Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday overturned a two-year-old 
policy that many pain specialists said was limiting their ability to 
properly treat chronically ill patients in need of powerful morphine-based 
painkillers.

While defending its efforts to aggressively investigate doctors who 
officials conclude are writing painkiller prescriptions for no "legitimate 
medical purpose," the agency agreed with the protesting experts that it had 
gone too far in limiting how doctors prescribe the widely used medications.

The unusual turnaround was welcomed by relieved doctors, who said it will 
help restore "balance" in government policy between the needs of pain 
patients and the effort to control prescription drug abuse and diversion.

Specifically, the DEA proposed a formal rule that would allow doctors with 
patients who need a constant supply of morphine-based painkillers to write 
multiple prescriptions in a single office visit. Under the new rule, a 
doctor can write three 30-day prescriptions at a time - two of them 
future-dated to be filled a month apart.

Two years ago, the agency clamped down on the common practice of writing 
such multimonth prescriptions, which it said were probably illegal and were 
contributing to the growing abuse of prescription painkillers.

As a result of the DEA's position, many doctors began requiring patients to 
come in each month for a new prescription - office visits many doctors 
considered medically unnecessary but essential to keep them out of trouble 
with the DEA.

Wednesday, DEA Administrator Karen Tandy said the agency had been wrong in 
limiting the multiple prescriptions and had made the tough decision to 
reverse course. She said the DEA received more than 600 comments from 
doctors, patients and others about its policies on painkillers.
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