A G o o d M a n S p e a k s T r u t h t o P o w e r
Because I write and speak widely
on public health issues and the socalled
“opioid crisis”, people frequently
send me references to others’
work. One of the more startling
articles I’ve seen lately was published
November 20, 2018
in Pharmacy Times. It is titled
“Should We Believe Patients With
Pain?”. The unlikely author is Commander
John Burke, “a 40-year veteran
of law enforcement, the past
president of the National Association
of Drug Diversion
Investigators, and
the president and
cofounder of
the International
Health Facility
Diversion
Association.”
The last paragraph of Commander
Burke’s article is worth repeating
here. “Let’s get back to dealing with
each person claiming to be in legitimate
pain and believe them until we
have solid evidence that they are
scamming the system. If they are,
then let’s pursue them through vigorous
prosecution, but let’s not
punish the majority of people receiving
opioids who are legitimate
patients with pain.”
This seems a remarkable insight
from anyone in law enforcement
— especially
from one who has expressed
this view in
both Pain News Network,
and Dr Lynn
Webster’s video “The Painful
Truth”. Recognizing Commander
Burke’s unique perspective, I followed
up by phone to ask several
related questions. He has granted
permission to publish my paraphrases
of his answers here.
Richard Lawhern: Are there any
available source documents which
establish widely accepted standards
for what comprises “overprescription?”
as viewed by diversion
investigators?
John Burke: NO. Each State and
Federal Agency that investigates
doctors for potentially illegal or inappropriate
opioid prescribing is
pretty much making up their own
standards as they go. Some make
reference to the 2016 CDC Guidelines,
but others do not.
RL: Thousands of individual doctors
have left pain management
practice in recent years due to fears
they may be investigated, sanctioned,
and lose their licenses if
they continue to treat patients with
opioid pain relievers. Are DEA and
State authorities really pursuing the
worst “bad actors”, or is something
by Richard A. Lawhern, Ph.D.
46—iPain Living Magazine