Meetings across the country do not deserve punishment – a victory also in Oklahoma – National Pain Report

Another series of "Do not Punish Pain" rallies took place across the country on Wednesday, May 22nd.^{North Dakota}). The idea was to draw attention – especially the media – to the impact of the opioid controversy on patients with chronic pain and other people who use opioid medications responsibly.

It's a new civil rights case, "said Claudia Merandi of Rhode Island, who initiated the DPPR movement. "When you take away a person's right to live a human life, what would it be like?"

On Wednesday, more than 40 rallies were held – and many local media covered them.

This is the latest evidence that the media is beginning to tell more often about the history of opioids from the perspective of patients with chronic pain – a trend that has been favored by federal government agencies, especially the Centers. for Disease Control, and others, including American Medical. Association declaring that "opioid suppression" was hurting patients with chronic pain.

Merandi quoted a Pennsylvania doctor who recently told him, "When government practices medicine, bad things happen."

In Oklahoma, pain patients celebrate the signing of Senate Bill 848 this week, which is a statement of patient rights that, according to human rights lawyer Kate Nicholson, "cancels some of the the most flagrant policies in prescribing.

It is a reminder that action for change must take place at the state level.

As a leader in the fight against pain recently said, "There is not really a national pain policy, you have to influence fifty national policies, which means that it's the legislators, the medical councils. and the attorneys general who must see the light. "

The National Pain Report has devoted coverage to the importance of local advocacy and the state. Just this week, Missouri's Mary Cremer recounted how she and other chronic pain patients were organized to get their message across. (Read here)

In addition, it has also happened that national leaders support local advocacy efforts, as evidenced by Oregon, where local and national pressures have led the Oregon Health Authority to lower its guidelines by progressive reduction of back and neck pain. (Read here)