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The highly anticipated meeting in Oregon to examine a policy to force the reduction of pain in a patient with opioid pain in Oregon Medicaid has taken a surprising turn.
The head of the Oregon Health Authority canceled today's review in light of potential conflicts of interest on the part of staff.
Dr. Catherine Livingston is a family physician who is a contract consultant to the Health Evidence Audit Commission (HERC). In addition, she is a co-investigator of two studies evaluating the impact of HERC's previous decision to expand the coverage of pain management to people with back pain.
"It is vital that Oregon's health plan covers safe and effective treatments to help people reduce and manage chronic pain. However, it is also essential that Oregoners have full confidence in the decisions made by HERC to evaluate the effectiveness of health care procedures, "said OHA Director Patrick Allen in a statement. release released Thursday.
Apparently, Dr. Livingston's potential conflict was uncovered by a chronic pain activist who was fighting the HERC's attempt to force the reduction of patients suffering from pain.
"We are delighted that OHA is taking the time to investigate potential conflicts between staff, consultants and board members," said Amara M., who prefers that we do not use her name. of family. "We think there are other possible conflicts."
HERC's proposal has received strong criticism from chronic pain service providers across the country. Last week, the Commission received a letter from Sean Mackey, Stanford, and other pain management leaders, who wrote:
"We continue to be seriously concerned about the main objective of the current proposal, namely its call for the gradual and non-consensual reduction of prescription opioid analgesics from a large group of patients."
Sean Mackey, MD, Ph.D., is head of the Division of Pain Medicine and Professor Redlich of Anesthesiology, Intraoperative Medicine and Pain, Neuroscience and Neurology at the University of Toronto. Stanford University. He has been president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.
Today's deadline allows them to continue to educate HERC members and the general public about what chronic pain advocates in Oregon should cause to patients suffering from chronic pain.
"Maybe they could take the time to read Dr. Mackey's letter and other communications from people who are dealing with chronic pain with the terrible idea of gradually reducing the use of forced opioids," he said. Amara M.
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