Alexander DeLuca, M.D.
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Introduction to The Dr. William Hurwitz Collection
War on Pain Sufferers Special Resource Collection #4
 

 
Alexander DeLuca, M.D., MPH; Addiction, Pain & Public Health website - doctordeluca.com;  Issued & posted: 2005-06-20; Modified: 2005-09-01
[Identifier= http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/LibPages/HurwitzCollection-lib.htm]
[Related resources= http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/LibPages/WODjournalism-lib.htm]
See also:
[WAR ON PAIN SUFFERERS #4 - The Doctor William Hurwitz Collection]
[Introduction and Index (TOC) to the WAR ON PAIN SUFFERERS Special Resource Collections]
[The Prosecution of Dr. Hurwitz and Fundraising Appeal]
 

     
INTRODUCTION (2005-06-20) - [Skip Intro & Jump to Document Collection]

The Trial of William Hurwitz was about His Medical Practice;
the Appeal is about the Viability of Addiction Medicine and Pain Medicine as Effective, Ethical Professions

Dr. William Hurwitz was convicted of drug-trafficking related to the prescription of opioid analgesic medications written in the course of operating a medical clinic in Virginia. Hurwitz was one of a dwindling number of physicians willing to treat patients who came to in chronic, severe pain using opioid analgesic medications.  Opioids are universally acknowledged as the "gold standard" by which all other pain management treatments are measured - by far the most effective and least toxic class of medications for chronic or intractable, severe, pain. A small percentage of his patients conspired to scam Dr. Hurwitz, lying to him about their pain in order to obtain drugs which they sold illegally without his knowledge.

For this Dr. William Hurwitz was charged with federal felony violation of the Controlled Substances Act by the DEA/DOJ as if he were a common drug dealer - his assets and confidential medical records were seized prior to his trial despite the fact that his medical practices had been previously investigated by the State of Virginia Medical Board, which body had exonerated him, and that he was practicing with full licensure under an agreement with State authorities at the time of his federal indictment.

If Hurwitz is upheld an extremely dangerous new legal precedent would be set with grave implications for all Americans who have or will have chronic pain (ALL OF US) and for the PHYSICIANS WHO COULD HELP US in the hours of our most dire need, BUT WHO WILL NOT DO SO for fear of federal, criminal prosecution and judgment by a lay jury.

UNDER HURWITZ, ANY PHYSICIAN WOULD RISK OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTION AND SUBSTANTIAL PRISON TERMS MERELY FOR WRITING A PRESCRIPTION, IF A LAY JURY LATER CONCLUDES THAT THE PRESCRIPTION WAS MEDICALLY INAPPROPRIATE.