To: Bernie Sanders, Senator
Bernie Sanders: Change Your Policy on Opiate Prescribing
By setting limits on the amount of opiates that can be prescribed, it takes the medications away from the Chronic Pain Patients that need them most. A solution must be found that treats addiction while still ensuring proper and adequate care for Chronic Pain Patients.
Why is this important?
There are approximately 100,000,000 Chronic Pain Patients living in the United States.
To treat those hundred million Chronic Pain Patients, there are only 2,500 Pain Specialist. That is 40,000 patients per doctor. As a result, most Chronic Pain Patients end up relying on their Primary Care Physicians to prescribe medications and treatments. With the restrictions on opiates that already exist, many Primary Care Physicians already will not treat Chronic Pain Patients. Added restrictions will only further prevent adequate care and pain relief, and will further stigmatize Chronic pain patients as addicts.
Only about 2% of Chronic Pain Patients end up abusing their medications. Chronic pain patients don’t want to have to take these medications any more than a cancer patient wants chemotherapy. But they have no choice. Chronic Pain Patients are the ones who will be the most affected by changes in prescribing guidelines, however they are not the ones abusing, selling, or trafficking these medications. By setting limits on the amount of opiates that can be prescribed, it takes the medications away from the patients that need them most.
Chronic Pain Patients are two to three times more likely to commit suicide mostly because of inadequate pain care. Are their lives less valuable than the life of an addict? A solution must be found that treats addiction while still ensuring proper and adequate care for Chronic Pain Patients.
We demand that Bernie Sanders change his policy in regards to limiting the amount of opiates prescribed. We also demand that Bernie Sanders sit down with Disabled Americans for Change and representatives from other chronic pain groups to discuss this issue, as well as other concerns held by the disabled community.
It is time to acknowledge the disabled and to give them a place not only in your policy, but in your campaign. We demand representation.
www.DisabledAmericansForChange.org
To treat those hundred million Chronic Pain Patients, there are only 2,500 Pain Specialist. That is 40,000 patients per doctor. As a result, most Chronic Pain Patients end up relying on their Primary Care Physicians to prescribe medications and treatments. With the restrictions on opiates that already exist, many Primary Care Physicians already will not treat Chronic Pain Patients. Added restrictions will only further prevent adequate care and pain relief, and will further stigmatize Chronic pain patients as addicts.
Only about 2% of Chronic Pain Patients end up abusing their medications. Chronic pain patients don’t want to have to take these medications any more than a cancer patient wants chemotherapy. But they have no choice. Chronic Pain Patients are the ones who will be the most affected by changes in prescribing guidelines, however they are not the ones abusing, selling, or trafficking these medications. By setting limits on the amount of opiates that can be prescribed, it takes the medications away from the patients that need them most.
Chronic Pain Patients are two to three times more likely to commit suicide mostly because of inadequate pain care. Are their lives less valuable than the life of an addict? A solution must be found that treats addiction while still ensuring proper and adequate care for Chronic Pain Patients.
We demand that Bernie Sanders change his policy in regards to limiting the amount of opiates prescribed. We also demand that Bernie Sanders sit down with Disabled Americans for Change and representatives from other chronic pain groups to discuss this issue, as well as other concerns held by the disabled community.
It is time to acknowledge the disabled and to give them a place not only in your policy, but in your campaign. We demand representation.
www.DisabledAmericansForChange.org