“The moral test of a government is how it treats those who are at the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those who are in the shadow of life, the sick and the needy, and the handicapped.” – Hubert Humphrey
passionate pachyderms
Pharmacist Steve steve@steveariens.com 502.938.2414
It looks like the political “mud slinging” has already started – IMO – worse than the national election two years ago… I am taking a stand – in particular – against “slanderous name calling” directed toward specific politicians, particular political parties and/or specific people. I don’t mind political debate – based on FACTS… when the debate drifts off the road based on FACTOIDS, FAKE NEWS, opinions stated as FACTS.. is where I am going to draw the “line in the sand” and delete comments that go down that path.
While personally, I am not a big fan of our political/bureaucratic system.. IMO.. it is too self serving… Admittedly, politically I tend to lean to the POLITICAL RIGHT but that is because the Libertarian party is seemingly always kept in their place by our dominating “two party system”.
I have belonged to a national pharmacy association for 35 yrs… that promotes the saying “get into politics … or get out of pharmacy ..” If you don’t attempt to influence politicians… someone else will…. and IMO this saying applies to those in the chronic pain community and/or pts who are dealing with subjective diseases. Legislatures, bureaucrats are doing things that are adversely effecting the quality of life of those pts. As long as those being affected continue to lack unity and/or a large segment chooses to stand on the sidelines, whoever is successfully “bending the ear” of these politicians … they will continue to do so because they have little/no concern about the consequences and/or collateral damage that they cause to those suffering and dealing with subjective diseases.
I am sure that the vast majority of my readers will understand and cooperate…those who try to challenge this policy… It is THREE STRIKES and you are out/banned… and WORDPRESS gives me your IP ADDRESS attached to your comment(s)… Once banned, just posting under a different name – WILL NOT WORK ! Everyone needs to “play nice “
Lastly, please do not post anything promoting a particular vendor or any entity or person selling a product/particular service. Because some may perceive/believe that they have my endorsement which may or may not be the case. Anyone posting a link to a professional selling a product/service will be edited out
We have lived in the house that we we built in 1974 and I mean that WE BUILT IT – about 70% of the labor was from Barb or me. We live on a acre lot and over the years, we – mostly Barb – increased the amount of flower beds around the property. Barb has reached a point where she cannot do much to help maintain those flower beds… Guess who the task of doing that has fallen on ?
My pain is handed on a day to day business by taking a NSAID… but.. when I have to do some manual labor – like pulling weeds and spreading mulch – the intensity of pain in my lower back quickly zooms past “5” leaving it in the rear view mirror. Luckily we have a very understanding PCP who gives me opiates and muscle relaxant… and although not tested… I strongly suggest that I am a ultra fast metabolizer. To do such activity, I have to basically “medicate my back into submission” and depending on how much activity, a dose may only last me 1-2 hrs, while I am working.
It takes about 120-130 bags of mulch to take care of all the flower beds… each weighing 25-35 lbs. – think abt 4000 lbs total. I have a F-150 truck so I can move bags around the property. You just don’t have to handle a bag of mulch just once… some of them was picked up and moved 4-6 times.
At one point, I picked up a couple of bags and there was no pain… I was not drowsy, my mind was clear, I had all my facilities … in a sense … I was EUPHORIC about being pain free – at least for a 1-2 hrs.
Many of those in the chronic pain community continue to want to divide – segregate – those who suffer from the mental health issue of addiction from those with chronic pain and who have found a “mental peace” by using some legal/illegal substance. Our SYSTEM, seems to demonize the actions of some people, when no one is harmed with the exception of maybe themself.
We have abt 50,000 suicides/yr and abt ONE MILLION attempts each year. Could it be that we have a very serious undiagnosed/untreated mental health crisis in this country ?
When I was born Truman was President and I have some memory of Eisenhower as President. Back then… there was two political parties and you were either white or black..
Now we have so many subsets of US vs THEM. I am not going take the time to try and even compose what will almost not be a total accurate list and even if I was able to compose a accurate list TODAY by next week it could well be incomplete.
Those groups that are strongly opposed to people receiving opiates/controlled substances to treat their pain is not those who have addiction tendencies, it is the friends and relatives of those who have OD’d from using/abusing opiates and/or active addicts.
From the example that CBS put out today… they are not going to put forth anything by their own truths/beliefs. This week, a good example of this is Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida expanded the COVID-19 vaccine network by adding Publix grocery chain to those giving vaccinations. Publix is the largest grocery store chain in FL and Walgreens and CVS was already providing vaccinations in FL, but CBS took a video of a press conference DeSantis had and edited a 2 minute video into a short clip and turned the whole context of what he said. They focused that Publix had made a $100,000 donation to DeSantis’ PAC fund, but failed to mention that Publix had also made contributions to two Democratic candidates’ PAC as well. It would seem that CBS has an agenda and will edit the truth to fit into their agenda.
The DEA/DOJ and the bureaucrats are using the existing laws, creating new laws or new interpretations of existing laws to suppress the community. IMO, they have increasingly doing this since the Decade of Pain Law that expired in 2009 -2010 was not renewed.
Almost nightly I hear on TV about certain groups DEMANDING that police depts be DEFUND… but no one seems to have a concern about defunding the DEA ? and there is a lot of talk about the cartels flooding illegal drugs across our southern border, but where is the DEA at/around the border ? Is the DEA turning a blind eye and deft ear to what is going on at the border ?
I have read/talked to/heard about pts contacting law firms… If you pay attention to the TV commercials of personal injury law firms… you should see that they are all going after just a handful of specific types of accident victims.. and why is that ?… because they are going down well worn paths… that leads to a financial settlement…. unlikely that they will have to go to trial… just a handful of letters being sent back and forth… to get the insurance company to come up with some $$$.
If you try to talk to a law firm, don’t let them go down the MALPRACTICE PATH… it is a non-starter… each side will hire a “expert” who will testify that the party that they represent did everything correctly or the plaintiff was harmed because the defendant did something wrong. Many states have CAPS on financial awards for malpractice… meaning that most law firms will not take a case on a contingency basis, because even if they do win… they may not cover their expenses of taking the case to trial.
The truth is that there is not a “visible path” for law firms for getting an insurance company to come up with some $$$ for discrimination for denial of treating a pt for pain.
Those in the community can continue to contact their representative in Congress, but Congress is too busy creating gridlock… there is NO UNITY…. there is NO NEGOTIATION(S)…
Those in the community needs to look at what those states do when they are unhappy when this administration does something they don’t like or feel that what has been done is unconstitutional ? Up to a couple of dozen state AG’s have SUED the administration over what they consider unconstitutional actions by this administration. The various states’ Governors, Legislators, AG’s can’t get Congress to take any actions. I can assure you that they have a much better chance to talk to members of Congress over issues and MAYBE …just MAYBE…. get them to listen.
Does those in the community just really needs a GOOD DOSE OF REALITY ?
Teenagers have normal adult brains They do not become addicted because their brains are not developed. Brain development is a problem with those who make these pronouncements. These new ideas about Heroin Addiction are for any age, mainly how to diagnosis the disease quickly before it gets out of hand. 90% of Heroin addiction starts in high school in 1-4/1000 students
WASHINGTON — The number of independent pharmacies in the United States increased in 2020, according to a new analysis of pharmacy data. Pharmacy data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, analyzed by the healthcare analytics firm Quest Analytics, shows the overall number of independent pharmacy stores increased by 449 between January 2020 and January 2021.
The analysis of new pharmacy store data also continues to show an overall 10-year positive trend for retail independent pharmacy openings in the U.S. Today, there are 2,645 more independent pharmacies than there were in 2011, which is almost a 13% increase over 10 years.
“Neighborhood pharmacies play an important role in helping patients access their prescription drugs, a role made all the more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. This data sets the record straight that independent pharmacies continued to do well in 2020. Overall, there are more community pharmacies today than 10 years ago. Federal and state lawmakers should avoid enacting policies based on a misperception about pharmacy closure rates, especially when those policies risk increasing drug costs for patients at exactly the wrong time,” said Pharmaceutical Care Management Association president and CEO JC Scott. “Independent pharmacies, PBMs, and others in the drug supply and payment chain have worked together during the pandemic and should continue to focus on helping patients access affordable prescription drugs and lead healthier lives.”
Uber has been ordered to pay $1.1 million to a blind passenger after an independent arbitrator ruled that the company’s drivers discriminated against her after refusing her rides on 14 separate occasions.
Lisa Irving, a San Francisco Bay Area resident, brought the claim against Uber in 2018 after “she was either denied a ride altogether or harassed by Uber drivers not wanting to transport her with her guide dog,” which she relies on.
Irving alleged that drivers left her stranded at night and caused her to be late to work, which may have contributed to her being fired.
Irving’s lawyers said their client suffered verbal abuse and intimidation, which did not stop after she brought her complaints to Uber.
“Of all Americans who should be liberated by the rideshare revolution, the blind and visually impaired are among those who stand to benefit the most,” Catherine Cabalo, one of Irving’s attorneys, told the BBC in a statement. “However, the track record of major rideshare services has been spotty at best and openly discriminatory at worst.”
“The bottom line is that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a guide dog should be able to go anywhere that a blind person can go,” she added.
Uber rejected Irving’s claims, insisting that its divers are “expected to serve riders with service animals and comply with accessibility,” but the arbitrator found that was not the case.
The investigation suggested that drivers were coached in ways to deny rides that would circumvent the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The arbitrator ruled that Uber was liable for violations of the ADA because of its “contractual supervision over its drivers and for its failure to prevent discrimination by properly training its drivers.”
The ADA prohibits businesses from denying transportation of a person with a guide dog.
The nurse who is accused of removing the oxygen from a nursing home resident who died hours later has been charged with a felony.
Connie Sneed, 52, has been charged by the Clark County Prosecutor with practicing medicine without a license, a Level 5 felony. A Level 5 felony in Indiana carries a potential penalty of one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Reached by telephone Friday morning, Sneed said, “I have no comment.” She said she has an attorney, but would not provide a name. Online court records don’t list an attorney representing her, either.
Sneed is a licensed practical nurse with an active license, according to the state’s online licensing database.
Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed on Thursday, a registered nurse at Wedgewood contacted the facility’s executive director about a “brazen” Facebook post written by Sneed:
“I just want y’all to know the hardest thing I’ve ever done in 28 years start a patient on O2 for 4 days 12 LPM. with a non-rebreather mask,” she wrote, describing the oxygen treatment of the resident. “I asked him on day 4 if he’s tired he said yes I said do you want me to take all this off for you and let you go and fly with the angels and he said yes.”
Sneed’s actions prompted an investigation by the Indiana Department of Health and the Office of the Attorney General. According to the health inspector’s documents, Sneed unhooked the oxygen from a resident of Wedgewood Healthcare, a nursing home in Clarksville. The man died hours later.
A probable cause affidavit identifies the resident as James Godrey, 72, who was admitted to Wedgewood on March 13, 2020. His medical conditions included dementia, a history of muscle weakness, difficulty walking and occasional depression. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 on April 26.
Attempts to reach Godrey’s family on Friday were unsuccessful.
Sneed told investigators that Godfrey’s oxygen level was at 64% when she decided to start him on oxygen without a doctor’s order. A healthy oxygen level is between 95% and 100%.
The health department report says a daughter was interviewed May 6 and indicated she started receiving calls the night of April 27 letting her know her father’s condition was declining. Sneed told the woman her father would not keep his mask on. The reports says the daughter talked with her father on a video call, asking him to keep on the mask and “he nodded his head up and down.”
The daughter, according to her account in the report, told Sneed “she could remove it, but try to put it back on him later when he calmed down.” On the following night, April 28, the daughter was “snuck” into the nursing home to see her father. “He had the mask in place, and was barely opening his eyes,” she said, according to the report. “She asked him to keep the mask on.
After the woman left, she said Sneed called again and said her father was not doing well. “The nurse told her if they sent him out to the hospital they would just be doing the same things they were already doing at the facility, so the family member told them to let him stay there and not send him out,” the report said.
The next call the daughter received was on April 30 from a different nurse. The report said the daughter was told her father had passed away at 8:52 a.m.
Sneed was fired from Wedgewood on May 6 after an admitting to superiors that she had not contacted Godfrey’s doctor when his oxygen levels began to decline days before his death, according to the affidavit.
In a May 6 interview with state health inspectors, Sneed confirmedthat she had removed the resident’s oxygen. She said that she’d had a “terrible” week and was caring for more than 40 COVID-19 patients at the facility when she forgot to notify the resident’s physician of his decline.
Sneed also told inspectors that the resident’s daughter had told her “if it was her father’s wishes she could remove the mask.”
Wedgewood’s executive director Scott Steward determined that Sneed had not obtained a doctor’s order to administer oxygen nor to later remove the oxygen supply.
Sneed did not try to hide her actions. In addition to her Facebook post and admission to health inspectors, Sneed told Teresa Trussel, an incoming nurse, during shift change that she had removed the oxygen and that the family had agreed to her doing so. Trussel assumed Sneed had obtained an order to administer and remove oxygen. Another employee that is not named in the affidavit said that Sneed also wrote a detailed statement about her actions in Godfrey’s chart.
Neither the family nor the facility was aware of Sneed’s actions until she posted about them on social media.
On Friday, attorney general spokeswoman Lauren Houck told IndyStar that her office had received a complaint that resulted in an investigation into the allegations made against the Wedgewood nursing home.
“We presented our findings to the Clark County Prosecutor and charges were filed as a result,” she said in an email.
Wedgewood was among the facilities hit particularly hard by the virus. At least 70 residents have contracted the coronavirus, and 20 have died at the 124-bed facility owned by Columbus Regional Hospital.
Going into the pandemic, Wedgewood had the lowest possible staffing rating from federal regulators – “much below average” – and was in the bottom 15% for total staffing nationally.
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services currently rates the facility one star for its overall and health ratings and two stars for staffing. The number of health citations at the facility — 37 citations — is far above both the state average of 9.4 and the national average of 8.1.
Beth DeFalco, a spokeswoman for Communicare, the company that manages Wedgewood Healthcare, did not respond Friday to the charges filed against Sneed. She previously defended the care at Wedgewood in an emailed statement.
“Communicare staff have worked tirelessly to care for our residents during this global pandemic and we have followed all state and federal safety guidelines,” she said, although several Indiana facilities managed by the company were cited for violations last year. She also said that “nursing homes are being held to a higher scrutiny than hospitals and ERs.”
Emily Hopkins is a data reporter for IndyStar’s investigative team. Reach them at 317-444-6409 or emily.hopkins@indystar.com.
Contact Tim Evans at 317-444-6204 or tim.evans@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @starwatchtim.
This looks like another Medical Board that has no understanding that surgical induced pain is different and ADDITIVE to existing chronic pain and this letter appears to be from a neurosurgical group.
This letter also suggests that any/all pts should expect pain to persist for up to at least TWO MONTHS post surgery.
So if the pt’s primary pain prescriber will not increase their pain therapy to compensate for the pt’s surgically induced pain…then it would appear that the pt can expect to live in a elevated – maybe even a torturous level of – pain for a couple of months.
The controlled substance act states that NO ONE CAN PRESCRIBE a controlled substance without doing a in person exam… so the question is… is the Arkansas Medical Board prescribing/de-prescribing controlled substances for pts that no one on the board has done a in person pt exam ?
