The problem with these articles is that they often scare doctors out of prescribing pain medicine for those who really need it. People dying of cancer of people with persistent and severe pain often have trouble getting the drugs they need because the DEA (drug enforcement agency, which has more power than doctors in this country) scare doctors away from legitimate pain treatment. Some pain patience end up committing suicide after being unable to cope with pain. A friend of mine with bone cancer was given Lora tab for a disease in which the highest form of pain relieve was needed and he is dying anyway, so addiction is not on the table. What is, is his ability to live out his last few days with as little pain as possible.

Thanks to this type of publicity, people like him may have problems getting the relief they need and deserve:

From The Wichita Eagle:

Board may pull doctor's license

BY RON SYLVESTER

Linda Atterbury Schneider

After a federal judge in Wichita found Friday that osteopath Stephen Schneider posed a danger to the community, a lawyer for the Kansas Board of Healing Arts said the order may be enough to pull his medical license.

U.S. Magistrate Don Bostwick ordered Schneider and his wife, Linda, held in jail without bond on 34 federal charges related to their practice of prescribing painkillers at their Haysville clinic.

The Schneiders pleaded not guilty Friday. Outside the courtroom, the Schneiders' relatives defended the doctor and his practice.

"He treats your soul as well as your sickness, because he has a good heart," said Pat Hatcher, Linda Schneider's sister, who is caring for the couple's two teenage daughters.

Prosecutor Tanya Treadway told the judge that Schneider stands accused of contributing to the lethal overdoses of 56 patients by giving them illegal access to powerful drugs.

"And we still have 35 more (deaths) to investigate," Treadway said.

Bostwick's order may give the Board of Healing Arts the authority it needs to act.

Kelli Stevens, litigation specialist for the board, said the board would look over the court order next week and see if it would prompt an emergency action against Schneider's license.

To do that, the board needs proof Schneider provides "imminent harm to the community."

"In this case, especially now with the judge's order, we may be there," Stevens said.

The board filed a petition against Schneider in 2006, but it was delayed as the state added extra patients to the case; then federal investigators asked the board to delay the case so federal prosecutors could proceed with theirs, she said.

The original six-page petition had grown to more than 50 pages by the Nov. 13 filing.

Claims against Schneider

Schneider, 54, wouldn't give up his license voluntarily, he said through his lawyer at Friday's hearing.

"Dr. Schneider still has patients out there who at least will need referrals to other health care providers," lawyer Jay Greeno said. "Not all of his patients are there for pain management issues. They have other health issues that need to be taken care of."

Bostwick said he doesn't have the power to order a doctor to give up a medical license.

"I do have authority to say if he's released, he couldn't prescribe medications or practice medicine," Bostwick said.

He said he didn't know how he could ensure Schneider wouldn't continue seeing patients or authorizing prescriptions without assigning him 24-hour surveillance.

"I don't know how I can effectively and efficiently police that," Bostwick said.

Schneider didn't change his medical practices, even as federal investigators scrutinized him for two years before Thursday's grand jury indictment, Treadway said. Greeno pointed out that Schneider is presumed innocent of the accusations until he's proven guilty in court.

"He should be allowed to keep his license until the appropriate agencies take action -- if and when they do," Greeno said.

Treadway said that if Schneider gave up his license voluntarily, the government would agree to his release.

"You might," Bostwick said. "I might not."

The Board of Healing Arts has the authority to restrict, suspend or revoke a doctor's license.

A petition filed Nov. 13 by the board claims 14 cases in which Schneider showed negligence and incompetence or unprofessional behavior.

Those include:

• Patients receiving prescription painkillers when drug screens showed evidence of illicit drugs, such as marijuana.

• Patients receiving prescriptions under Schneider's watch, even when they had a history of drug abuse and were not closely monitored.

• People receiving prescriptions from Schneider or his assistants when drug screens showed an absence of the medications -- indicating that they were not using the pills, but selling them.

Stevens said the board could act as early as Wednesday.