REPORTED BY
NORMAN J CLEMENT RPH., DDS, NORMAN L.CLEMENT PHARM-TECH, MALACHI F. MACKANDAL PHARMD, BELINDA BROWN-PARKER, IN THE SPIRIT OF JOSEPH SOLVO ESQ., INC.T. SPIRIT OF REV. C.T. VIVIAN, JELANI ZIMBABWE CLEMENT, BS., MBA., IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HON. PATRICE LUMUMBA, IN THE SPIRIT OF ERLIN CLEMENT SR., WALTER F. WRENN III., MD., JULIE KILLINGWORTH, LESLY POMPY MD., NANCY SEEFEDLT, WILLIE GUINYARD BS., JOSEPH WEBSTER MD., MBA, BEVERLY C. PRINCE MD., FACS., RICHARD KAUL, MD., LEROY BAYLOR, JAY K. JOSHI MD., MBA, ADRIENNE EDMUNDSON, ESTER HYATT PH.D., WALTER L. SMITH BS., IN THE SPIRIT OF BRAHM FISHER ESQ., MICHELE ALEXANDER MD., CUDJOE WILDING BS, MARTIN NJOKU, BS., RPH., IN THE SPIRIT OF DEBRA LYNN SHEPHERD, BERES E. MUSCHETT, STRATEGIC ADVISORS
“FIGHTING AGAINST HEALTHCARE INJUSTICE”
BY
RICHARD “RED” LAWHERN, PH.D.
For the Personal Attention of
Dennis R. Schrader – Secretary of Health
Thomas Andrews – Chief of Staff
Webster Ye – Assistant Secretary, Health Policy
Bryan Mroz – Assistant Secretary
Jeffery Woolford – Assistant Secretary
Deidre McCabe, Director
Maryland Department of Health Office of Communications
and
Maureen Regan, Deputy Director
Dear Colleagues:
I write to offer information and to request your assistance in a matter of direct concern to all US State Departments of Health and State Medical Boards (Correspondence copied below).
I have recently read a Cease and Desist Order by the Maryland State Medical Board declared against a physician on the grounds of “improper” prescribing. The substance of this order falsely equates any prescription of opioids exceeding the arbitrary MME levels identified in the 2016 CDC Guidelines on Opioid Prescription to “improper” prescribing.
This assignment is erroneous, according to even to published acknowledgments of the CDC itself. The order is deeply legally flawed and exposes the Department of Health to potential punitive legal action on the grounds of malfeasance and prosecutorial malpractice.
Significant numbers of Americans are committing suicide because they have erroneously been denied treatment for agonizing chronic pain.
This denial results directly from misdirected State and Federal policy on the regulation of prescription opioid pain relievers and the draconian persecution of doctors who dare to employ these proven therapies in treating their patients. Correction of this sorry situation requires nothing less than a public repudiation of the 2016 Opioid Guidelines by government officials such as yourselves.
You may verify my qualifications to comment by scanning papers filed at the publications link in my signature below.
I have 25 years of hands-on experience in patient advocacy and public policy analysis, with about 150 published papers, articles, and interviews in this area of public policy.
Feel free to reach out to me for further discussions by email or phone 703.216.0724 Eastern US Time on weekdays.
I hope you will take the time to scan the references offered below and to forward this letter to other key policymakers in your State. Versions of this letter are being filed with State Departments of Health and State Medical Boards throughout the US.
I would appreciate the courtesy of a timely and substantive (non-form letter) reply.
Thanks for your time and attention.
Richard A “Red” Lawhern PhD
Patient Advocate
Twitter: @Lawhern1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/red.lawhern
My Publications: http://www.face-facts.org/Lawhern
Personal Website: http://www.lawhern.org
CONGRESS MUST CLEAN UP THIS MESS
FOR NOW, YOU ARE WITHIN
THE NORMS
