POLICY/PHARMA: DEA's insane persecution of pain patients continues

Just in case you needed to be reminded that the DEA is a refuge of evil scumbags and needs to be abolished, here's another exhibit (from the good people at DRCNet):

Federal agents arrested Dr. Stephen Schneider, operator of the Schneider Medical Clinic, and his wife and business manager, Linda, on a 34-count indictment charging them with operating a "pill mill" at their clinic. The indictment charges that Schneider and his assistants "unlawfully" wrote prescriptions for narcotic pain relievers, that at least 56 of Schneiders' patients died of drug overdoses between 2002 and 2007, and that Schneider and his assistants prescribed pain relievers "outside the course of usual medical practice and not for legitimate medical purpose."

Darren Baker is another patient who swears by Dr. Schneider. The operator of a tree gardening service, Baker has bone spurs in his knees from years of climbing, and two years ago, he fell out of a tree, shattering both his heels. "They put all kinds of hardware in my heels, and I have to have pain medications just to walk," he said. "With the pain meds, I can't walk real well, but without them, I can't walk, period. Dr. Schneider was the only one who would treat me."

Now, like Sauers, Baker is in search of a doctor. "I haven't found one yet," he said. "I got a list today, but most of them are turning you away if you're associated with Dr. Schneider. If I can't get another doctor, I won't have any option except to retire and go on disability. I take my medicine to be a productive member of society," he said angrily. "I need my meds to survive and pay my bills and fight the daily grind. This really goes against our constitutional rights. How the hell can I pursue happiness lying in bed?"

The DEA has repeatedly lied about its own opiate prescribing guidelines and has gone after soft “targets” like doctors—from whom it can easily steal assets—not to mention people legally dispensing marijuana in states where its legal. And don’t talk to me about “the law”. All Democratic candidates say they’ll stop the DeA raiding med marijuana clinics. Are they advocating that the DEA breaks the law? Perhaps the DEA should arrest them.

Clearly the DEA couldn’t give two shits about the lives of the patients for whom opiates is the effective solution. This organization is beyond salvage and needs to be abolished. Its administrative duties can be absorbed into the (hopefully newly funded and reformed) FDA.

Just one more piece of work awaiting the next rational occupant of the White House…..if we get one.