Pain management specialists around the country are closely following a developing power struggle in Washington between the two agencies. The Washington Post reports that the Food and Drug Administration is campaigning to win back influence it has lost in recent years to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Deputy Commissioner Scott Gottleib said the FDA is working to block legislation which would give additional powers to oversee painkillers to the DEA. The question of who should bear primary responsibility for regulating pain management issues is a sensitive one for many specialists in light of several draconian prosecutions. Many doctors have argued that they feel forced to underprescribe painkillers to patients out of fear of future prosecution by the DEA.
- see this article from The Washington Post