As Twitchy reported earlier, 2020 candidate Kirsten Gillibrand floated an absolutely horrible “fix” to the nation’s opioid crisis — legislation to limit opioid prescriptions for acute pain to 7 days, because “no one needs a month’s supply for a wisdom tooth extraction.” Aren’t these sorts of decisions best made by a patient and their doctor and not some senator with presidential aspirations?
This guy has a fantastic thread about this insane bill they’re trying to pass. https://t.co/ubDb5NTFn7
— The Dank Knight ? (@capeandcowell) March 19, 2019
Abraham Gutman is an opinion writer at the Philadelphia Enquirer who writes about drugs and criminal justice, among other things.
Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad bad. Bad.
This is bad policy that will *NOT* save lives and will hurt chronic pain patients — including driving people to commit suicide. We’ve seen this happen before. https://t.co/DDpCHWZdWU
— Abraham Gutman (@abgutman) March 19, 2019
@SenGillibrand if you are interested, I would love to connect your team with experts and share some data about why policies such as the prescription limits that you are proposing do more harm than good. I’m at agutman@philly.com.
— Abraham Gutman (@abgutman) March 19, 2019
Her “team of experts” — good one.
Just a couple of weeks ago more than 300 experts wrote a letter to the CDC about their Rx guidelines. The takeaway: limiting opioid prescription drives people who are suffering from pain to find illicit alternatives and commit suicide. @SenGillibrand https://t.co/18MqVu3v2s pic.twitter.com/cYuZAWb6Xh
— Abraham Gutman (@abgutman) March 19, 2019
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Between 2006 and 2017, the opioid prescription rate went down by about 20 percent nationally. At the same time the overdose deaths more than doubled. Most of those deaths involve illicit fentanyl, not Rx.
We shouldn’t push people toward more dangerous substances. @SenGillibrand pic.twitter.com/YJNEcCIGSE
— Abraham Gutman (@abgutman) March 19, 2019
Doctors are already afraid to prescribe opioids; they don’t need the government interfering any further.
Why would a prescription limit on *acute* pain harm chronic-pain patients? Because of CDC guidelines & state prescription limits, many people in chronic pain depend on diverted pills. Without them, the only option left is illicit fentanyl and the risk of overdose death.
— Abraham Gutman (@abgutman) March 19, 2019
We also don’t want to further promote a culture of hyper-surveillance on doctors’ prescription that would incentivize bad medicine and not giving painkillers to people in chronic pain to avoid getting in trouble with the DEA — this is already happening.
— Abraham Gutman (@abgutman) March 19, 2019
Yep.
It is also important to note that prescriptions don’t tell the full story of the cause of the addiction and overdose crisis. Everyone should read @ZachWritesStuff’s masterful essay on the problem w/ the supply side story. https://t.co/8Hpu76P6G3 @SenGillibrand pic.twitter.com/DEV8nJQyIM
— Abraham Gutman (@abgutman) March 19, 2019
To see the root causes of addiction, we need to look honestly at trauma and despair in America today. It is policies like the Green New Deal that will defeat addiction by replacing despair with hope. That’s how we get out of this crisis. https://t.co/Ax8AxcYHqb @SenGillibrand
— Abraham Gutman (@abgutman) March 19, 2019
OK, you totally lost us there; the threat of creeping socialism is what causes us despair, but go on.
I believe that just like any other medical treatment, the standard of care for pain and addiction should be set by professional association guidelines (@AmericanPainSoc / @ASAMorg / @AmerMedicalAssn) and not legislated. https://t.co/ycMe5syVCv
— Abraham Gutman (@abgutman) March 19, 2019
Do you also think disability/pain suffering patients should also have a seat at that table?
(I'm not challenging you on this, just asking for clarity because I didn't see it mentioned–but it's also Twitter and 280 characters limits things.)
— Everything is political. (@policyprimate) March 19, 2019
10000000000% yes. I would expect that any one of these groups will include input from the people who will be impacted by the guidelines in making the guidelines
— Abraham Gutman (@abgutman) March 19, 2019
Seeing as Gillibrand changes her policy positions every day, it would be good to have the input of people who live with pain every day.
Chronic pain sufferer over here who doesn't abuse my meds wants to tell you to F off & keep the govt. out of my Dr. office but I don't curse so I'll just say bless your heart. I honestly hope you never experience real pain. It's not fun. https://t.co/VRlRtjArY4
— Artist_Angie: Sensei of Sarcasm (@Artist_Angie) March 20, 2019
Related:
'What a damn monster'! Kirsten Gillibrand's getting roundly shredded for this 'horrific' take on the opioid crisis https://t.co/rMEICGOygy
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 19, 2019
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