What does a pain physician think about the movie, Cake?

Conditions and Diseases
February 10, 2015

I saw the movie Cake tonight. I felt it was my duty. I am, after all, a pain specialist.

I’d read that it was gritty, honest, and accurate, and that Jennifer Aniston was very convincing. I found all that to be true.

It’s the show’s first weekend in Louisville theatres, and the crowd at this 5:30 p.m. showing was decidedly mature, reverently attentive, and noticeably equipped with more walkers and canes than …

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What does a pain physician think about the movie, Cake?

Understanding the uproar over Zohydro ER

Medications
March 30, 2014

In March 2014, Zohydro ER (hydrocodone extended-release) was introduced to the market. Never in my medical lifetime do I recall a medication stirring such angst. Worries of mass overdoses, backdoor FDA conspiracies, and blatant disregard for the public well-being abound. Is there method to this madness?

Zohydro ER is a pain pill that, when taken by mouth, is released slowly over twelve hours. The active ingredient, hydrocodone, is an opioid (i.e. narcotic) that’s been around for decades …

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Understanding the uproar over Zohydro ER

Physicians are fearful of fulfilling their duty to treat pain

Medications
October 6, 2013

I recently testified before the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana regarding the pending emergency rules for physicians prescribing opioids for chronic pain. The session went on for four intense hours — ten minutes of which had been promised to me.

At my turn, I stated my name, told the Board I hailed from from Indiana’s prescription ground zero, gave a brief summary of my credentials, thanked the Board, the American Academy …

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Physicians are fearful of fulfilling their duty to treat pain