I understand that HR 4006, the Lethal Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 1998, was developed to eliminate health care professional involvement in suicide. The impact of this law, however, will not be in the realm of assisted suicide or the voluntary termination of life by terminally ill patients. The impact, rather, will be felt by every pharmacist, every physician, every health care provider and the patients they serve. One of the primary challenges in my practice is working with physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals to ensure that our patients are comfortable, that they are not victims of poorly managed pain. This goal is daunting.
Unrelieved pain is a public health crisis in the United States.
I am not exaggerating. No aspirin, no acetaminophen, no ibuprofen. Your legislation will directly affect the best treatments we have available. The problem of unrelieved pain is complex, and the result of a number of factors. One of the more important factors is the current regulatory environment.