Mayor Bloomberg and Narcotics

I may be just a bit late in commenting on this, but last week (which was like ten years ago in Internet time) there was a bit of hue and cry regarding Mayor Bloomberg's report on the matter of prescription drug abuse and restrictions on new prescriptions for painkillers through the Emergency Department.Initially, I was concerned. I completely agree with the comment from the linked article: “Here is my problem with legislative medicine,” said Dr. Alex Rosenau, president-elect of the American College of Emergency Physicians... “It prevents me from being a professional and using my judgment.” The verbiage used regarding the new rules was worrisome: restricted sharply... city policy ... will not be dispensed ... regulatory authority to impose, and the like.I'm like most doctors in that even when I agree with the purpose of proposed rules, I quite object to interference in how I practice, to "the government coming between you and your doctor" as it was so memorably put in the past. And given that Bloomberg is getting something of a reputation for being a little dictator I was all ready to get my pitchfork and torches and head down to join the mob.While I was getting my outrage machine up to operating temperature, I took a moment to read the official press release and the actual source document (PDF), though, and one word in the very first paragraph, notably absent from the press coverage of the proposal, jumped out at me:VOLUNTARYWell, that's a hor...
Source: Movin' Meat - Category: Emergency Medicine Doctors Source Type: blogs