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DEA isn't 'out to get' doctors

by Karen P. Tandy (DEA Administrator); USA-Today.com; 12/7/2004.
Originally posted 12/8/2004: [www.doctordeluca.com/Library/WOD/DEAnotOut2GetDocs04.htm].
Also available at USA-Today.com: [www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-12-07-oppose_x.htm].

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Chronic pain is a serious problem for many Americans, and the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) goal is to ensure that patients with legitimate need have access to pain medications that relieve suffering and improve quality of life.

At the same time, prescription drug abuse is exploding. When one in 10 high school seniors reports abusing prescription painkillers, DEA is obligated to protect our children and the public safety.

DEA's decision to remove the "Frequently Asked Questions" from our Web site is not a signal that DEA is targeting doctors who legitimately prescribe pain medication. Rather, the document was found to contain misstatements of law, so DEA was duty-bound to withdraw and correct it. In less than two months, we publicly identified the legal misstatements and corrected them. It's noteworthy that none of the critics claims these corrections are wrong.

Doctors and their patients should not interpret DEA's action as cause for alarm or as a change in investigative practice. DEA continues to recognize that the overwhelming majority of doctors prescribe controlled substances lawfully for legitimate medical reasons. The fraction of doctors who have wound up as defendants have earned their status; indeed, many such cases arise because worried family members contact DEA when "medication" has turned into drug abuse, or worse.

In 2003, DEA arrested only 50 doctors out of the almost 1 million who are registered with us. Those 50 doctors committed egregious acts, such as exchanging prescriptions for sexual favors or kickbacks.

The small number of doctors we've arrested — and the flagrant nature of their crimes — should reassure the medical community that DEA does not play doctor. The myth that DEA is out to get doctors needs to be put to rest. Doctors acting in good faith and in accordance with established medical norms should remain confident in their ability to prescribe appropriate pain medications.

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