Pain Patients Human Rights Violation
Living with Pain: Is the War on Pain Patients a Human Rights Violation?
Posted on September 13, 2012 by Mark Maginn, Columnist
(shared) (partial report)
When we read about human rights violations, we usually think of Russia, China or third world countries. We rarely think of the United States. Yet here in the U.S. we are involved in a war on chronic pain patients that is especially egregious in Washington state and Florida.
This war on pain patients is waged by the Drug Enforcement Administration, federal and state prosecutors, politicians and government agencies. Their efforts are bolstered by special interest groups, which have joined with legislators in their unbalanced efforts to reduce the amounts of available opioid analgesics and to limit the number of people who have access to these powerful pain relievers.
Under international human rights law, governments must ensure equal access to the right to health and take reasonable steps to protect all against inhuman and degrading treatment.
Failure to ensure patients have access to treatment for severe pain will also result in violation of the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
Pain advocates need to expand their efforts from a social justice issue to a human rights issue. Our rights need to be protected.
Since the passage of legislation in Washington, pain patients have been dropped by their physician. Physicians who previously treated people with intractable pain are turning away patients as they fear scrutiny and the possible loss of their licenses to practice.
Posted on September 13, 2012 by Mark Maginn, Columnist
(shared) (partial report)
When we read about human rights violations, we usually think of Russia, China or third world countries. We rarely think of the United States. Yet here in the U.S. we are involved in a war on chronic pain patients that is especially egregious in Washington state and Florida.
This war on pain patients is waged by the Drug Enforcement Administration, federal and state prosecutors, politicians and government agencies. Their efforts are bolstered by special interest groups, which have joined with legislators in their unbalanced efforts to reduce the amounts of available opioid analgesics and to limit the number of people who have access to these powerful pain relievers.
Under international human rights law, governments must ensure equal access to the right to health and take reasonable steps to protect all against inhuman and degrading treatment.
Failure to ensure patients have access to treatment for severe pain will also result in violation of the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
Pain advocates need to expand their efforts from a social justice issue to a human rights issue. Our rights need to be protected.
Since the passage of legislation in Washington, pain patients have been dropped by their physician. Physicians who previously treated people with intractable pain are turning away patients as they fear scrutiny and the possible loss of their licenses to practice.
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