drug "rehabilitation center," Vietnam (ohchr.org)
UN Report Slams Cruel Drug Treatment as "Torture"
Human rights are being violated in the name of drug treatment, according to a report from the UN's special rapporteur on torture.
Under-treatment of Pain
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Pain Relief Network's Siobhan Reynolds Killed in Plane Crash
The pain relief movement has lost a true hero. Siobhan Reynolds, founder of the Pain Relief Network and a tireless advocate for the cause, was killed in a plane crash in Ohio on Christmas Eve day.
Siobhan Reynolds (left) at 2004 Congressional briefing, with Dr. Frank Fisher, Ron Libby and Maia Szalavitz (photo courtesy PRN)
Pain Patients Lose a Leading Advocate, Siobhan Reynolds, 1961-2011
[image:1 align:right caption:true]My friend and colleague Siobhan Reynolds, founder of the Pain Relief Network (PRN), died in a p
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Chronicle Book Review: The Power of the Poppy
"The Power of the Poppy: Harnessing Nature's Most Dangerous Plant Ally" is reviewed and found most interesting.
Senator Kohl Threatens to Hold Up DEA Nominee Over Nursing Home Drug-Dispensing Issue
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) continues to express his reservations about Michelle Leonhart, the nominee to lead the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Leonhart on Wednesday, Kohl said he still has concerns about the DEA's policy regarding the delivery of pain medications in nursing homes. "I will not hold her nomination in the Committee today, but I do intend to hold her nomination on the Senate floor until we have made more progress towards our goal of ensuring that nursing home residents get timely access to the prescription drug care they need," Kohl told the committee.
INCB head Hamid Ghodse (l) briefing reporters in Vienna (incb.org)
Most of World Lacks Access to Pain Drugs, UN Agency Says [FEATURE]
While the US wallows in a sea of pain pills, much of the rest of the world goes without, the International Narcotics Control Board reported Wednesday. Not to be too liberal, the INCB is also worried about the rise of designer drugs.
Siobhan Reynolds at a 2004 Congressional Briefing organized by the American Association of Physicians & Surgeons
Leading Pain Patient Organization Shuts Down Under Federal Pressure
A leading advocacy group for pain patients has essentially been driven out of business by a federal prosecutor and the federal courts. The Pain Relief Network will be missed.
Michele Leonhart, on hold (Image courtesy Wikimedia)
Senator to Place Floor Hold on DEA Nominee Leonhart
The Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday approved the nomination of Michele Leonhart to head the DEA, but one senator has vowed to place a hold on it on the Senate floor over the issue of pain relief for seniors.
Judge to Hear Medical Marijuana Case Against Wal-Mart
A federal judge on will hear arguments in the lawsuit on behalf of Joseph Casias, a 30-year-old cancer patient who lost his job after a routine drug screen found he had used medical marijuana. Casias was registered in Michigan to use it to treat pain.
The D.E.A. Changes a Policy on Painkillers
The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a new guideline intended to help ease the delay some nursing home residents face in receiving certain painkillers and anti-anxiety medications. The D.E.A. had not previously recognized nurses employed by nursing homes as the legal agents of doctors in conveying controlled substances prescriptions to pharmacists. The agencyâs previous stance, critics said in an article last week in The New York Times, caused many nursing home residents to suffer in pain while they waited for their prescriptions.