The fear and intimidation created in primary care doctors for their medical licenses due to the opioid crackdown has caused many to completely stop prescribing controlled substance Class II drugs. This has imposed a hardship on their patients who have to find other doctors. These are not doctors operating pill mills or abusing their ability to prescribe these drugs. Yet the crackdown has put many of them in fear for their livelihood.

One size does not fit all. Not in Covid stats nor opioid stats. One size fits all healthcare doesn't work, never worked, and will not work in the future. So many in uproar about being treated all the same with Covid shut down and gov in healthcare, yet people think it's ok to do to patients in need of pain medication. Most chronic pain patients take meds correctly and responsibly. The numbers coming out from the CDC and others are showing no decline in deaths even though they have decreased opioid usage dramatically. Law abiding citizens getting meds are not the cause of this overdose epidemic. Neither are the prescribed opiates themselves. Do research without bias and it is clear as day. I'm sorry for families that have lost a loved ones who abuse and I'm sorry for those who abuse, but the blame is on the individual who is abusing. Sad, yes. The only thing that will help is self responsibility.

This is still a huge issue!! I too suffer from chronic pain due to a severe spinal injury that is well documented and Yes, everyone is different and therefore this opioid dispensing should have been evaluated on a case by case basis in order to weed out the abusers instead of allowing patients who TRULY suffer from chronic pain the inability to get their medication. I moved here from a different state and have to fly to GA every 3 months just to get my prescriptions. I have my AZ doctor working with my GA doctor in order to help monitor and control my pain levels. Buying a plane ticket every 3 months is expensive and the travel is so painful that it puts me in the bed for a week afterwards. I am going on 20yrs of disability, worked as an executive in the healthcare industry before I was injured, and have two bachelor degrees so I'm not an idiot, nor an abuser, so it angers me when I hear people say that chronic pain patients can get out of pain with exercise and dietary changes. I think a waiver program should be initiated that would allow patients who have passed an in depth screening of medical history and have a legitimate need the ability to have their doctor prescribe over the max opioid limits.

I take a schedule II drug for chronic pain from a botched hip replacement, 2 degenerating discs, and osteoarthritis in my spine and most joints. I have dangerous side effects from all NSAIDs (particularly ibuprofen), so a schedule II drug is all that gives me some relief from pain. My doctor has told me that he doesn't want to write the scripts because he's afraid he'll lose his medical license, and also that, for the same reason, he will never increase my dosage beyond what it is currently no matter how much I may require it. Because of the "opioid epidemic" law, I am unable to get more than a 30-day supply. I have no transportation and no one to fetch a Rx for me, so that means a painful monthly trip by taxi that costs about 5 times as much as the drug itself. It takes me 3-4 days after each trip to be able to walk again because of the pain the riding, walking, and standing cause me. People who have a genuine need for enhanced pain relief should not be punished because others think controlled substances are just for their own amusement. Now I will be forced to go out and possibly expose myself (I'm in the high risk demographic) to COVID-19 because pharmacies are not allowed to deliver or mail schedule II medications to patients. Please, PLEASE, relax the rules regarding legitimately prescribed schedule II pain meds so those of us with a legitimate need for them do not have to worry about that on top of everything else life slings at us.

What can we do to change the laws??? The law is a knee jerk reaction and doesn't address the bigger problem of illegal street drugs. The people being punished by these laws are the legitimate chronic pain patients and some of the doctors who treat them. I am one of these patients. I've been treated for chronic pain issues for the last 9 years. Without my meds, I could not work or care for my son. Recently, my pain doctor got on a power trip and discharged me from her clinic. I'm trying to reverse her discharge by seeing another provider in the clinic but their patient relations has to investigate the situation. Meanwhile, my meds ran out friday. I was told by pain management and primary care to go to ER to get a script to last until either their reverse the discharge or I see a new pain management doctor. ER tells me they are not allowed to write a script for any pain meds to chronic pain patients, they can only give them a dose while at the ER. The Opioid Epidemic law prevents them. Only primary care or pain management is allowed to write any narcotic script for chronic pain patients. Its saturday, I have no meds...ER gave me a dose that will last 8 hours tops, I cant get meds from my primary care doctor because he is afraid and refuses to write a script. I can't get a new pain doctor to at least monday or tuesday. No one can help me! How is this right? The law punishes me because I have a genetic disorder that requires pain meds. This law can not stand! We need to fight this law, NOW!!!! How do we start the ball rolling?

I'm absolutely sick of this "opioid epidemic" ********. We raided Afghanistan and then suddenly there was a problem. In the meantime, my wife is sitting in agonizing pain, screaming, begging for the pain to stop, while regulators who DON'T suffer from chronic pain tell her she can't have it because she might become a heroine addict.

Prescription opioids aren't the problem. Didn't anyone read that part? Less than 30% of the overdoses are from prescriptions. Instead, because heroine junkies keep dying in droves in back alley's and ***** houses.

This is our government and the clear ignorance of our Amercian society. As long as everyone can be spoon fed ********, this will never stop. So, to the regulators and law makers: I hope that you suffer some injury that causes you unbearable pain. And I hope that you are forced to lay in a hospital bed down the hallway from the medications that can help while you simply cry and suffer because you decided to pass these idiotic, fear-mongering laws.

If you honestly believe that cutting off our pain medications is the solution, it's absolutely clear how, once again, you simply don't care about people. You only care about getting votes and agenda's passed.

This is deplorable. For my wife to lay here sobbing in pain is absolutely inhumane. And the Department of Health is fully responsible for this. As usual, the government lets us down again.

What you say is true. I'd like to add that even for those in pain, the risk of opiods is generally too great in ways medical doctors understand. There are other alternatives. I knew a Mayo Clinic doctor who treated rheumatoid arthritus patients and she gave up her drug license, got all of her patients off the opioids and used exercise and positive thinking instead. It took 6 weeks and then maintenance to get all of her patients out of their pain and into a non-dependant state. I know thebecomes like air to someone who takes it, and they will kill to get it. I understand addictions, I got a pretty good grip on pain. Everyone is different of course... But the dependancy on a drug that in the overall picture is unhealthy for everyone should never have begun. Remember the day when a ibuprofun provided enough relief? Most people can get back to that state although it does take a lot of time for many reasons. The goal is always how does the client get off of this medication before it completley destroys thier lives and others.

I am also concerned that those who are in need of these medications are being under represented due to the fact they are too ill to advocate for themselves. What is being done to protect those who legitimately need medication

I agree with the above comments I can't survive with a week prescription as Doosey wants I've had two open heart surgerys with hospital caused infection which resulted in removal of my sternum from the infection I be tried other ways put live with consistent pain which intensifies as I get older , presentaly on twenty day supply and can survive on that Please let me have what's left of my existence Don't make it worse because of druggies They will get their illegal drugs and us abiding people suffer Thank YouLarry