Download: Meeting Minutes

Download: President’s Report

President: Greg Betros
Vice President: Matt Betros
Treasurer: Sandra McKenzie
Secretary: George Seabrook
Public Officer: Penny Marshall
Committee Position 1: Barbara Buttfield
Committee Position 2: Nicola Heelis
Auditor: Mr Trevor Basso of Basso Newman & Co

Currently, DFPS is awaiting further responses from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to obtain Tax Deductability. Essentially this means that any donations made to the organisation will be tax deductable to individuals or businesses.

Also on the agenda, was the topic of fund raising and memberships. This will be a continuing discussion in the coming weeks as we await approval from the ATO.

It was agreed by the group that we should be also approaching other organisations in order to register them as associate members of the DFPS, thus increasing awareness of our plight. It is an ongoing action from the AGM that we identify those potential affiliates and implement a plan to register and publish our concerns.

The topic of media and press releases was raised. Greg will be meeting with representatives from the Sunday Mail this week to discuss the potential inclusion of a story in the paper. It is important that the letters to the editor are coordinated through George to ensure that each story carries the same passion and emotion in a manner that will be accepted by the media. To this effect, a template for such items is being prepared.

Acknowledged at the AGM was the significant role played by carers and in particular younger children. It was agreed that without carers our plight would be much worse. With this in mind, it is anticipated that several meetings will be held to gather not only the mature aged carers but also the children who care for those suffering from chronic pain.

The first AGM was a great success. Many thanks to those who attended.

You are invited to our first Annual General Meeting to be held at 10.00AM Saturday 10th October 2009 at the Disability Information & Resource Centre, 195 Gilles Street, Adelaide.

All positions, Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and two Committee Members, are open for election. An auditor must also be appointed for the next year.

As we are limited for space in the meeting room please RSPV by email. You can contact us here.

Their website is www.windowsonpain.org

Thanks Philippa for the great forward!

After numerous letters to various members of parliament, councils and more, our Secretary has received a letter in the post from Lindsay Simmons MP, Member for Morialta dated 13th July 2009:

Dear Mr Seabrook,
I would like to thank you for your email regarding Dignity for Chronic Pain Sufferers
and please be assured that I empathise with the current problems being experienced
by your members and other sufferers,

The Hon John Hill MP, Minister for Health is currently considering a further
amendment put forward by the Opposition and I will keep you informed of any future
developments in regard to this issue.

Yours sincerely,
Lindsay Simmons

Whilst headway is slowly starting to be made and our pleads for help are starting to be recognised, it is always good to do a quick sanity check to see where we stand.

The summary has been posted here: http://www.dfps.org.au/?page_id=67

 Many South Australians suffer illness, injuries etc that result in chronic pain (i.e. pain of greater than three months duration). Pain management Clinics and Rehabilitation Clinics help most to cope with the pain and return to a normal life. Unfortunately some patients (estimated to be in excess of 6,500 in this State!) do not respond to the therapies and treatments advocated by these clinics. These patients, often as a last resort, are prescribed opioid medication in sufficient dose to reduce their pain to a level that enables them to recommence a nearly normal life. Regular reviews are necessary and the treating physician should be prepared to change the dose or medication as necessary to prevent problems arising from these medications (please refer to the attachment).

While the Drugs of Dependency unit was under the control of Health S.A. and Mr. Geoff Anderson the management of opioid medication in this State met best practice as recommended by all first world countries and even conservative organisations, such as The American Pain Society (a body representing a large percentage of U.S. Pain Management Specialists). Nearly two years ago the management of the Drugs of Dependency Unit (DDU) was transferred to the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse and effectively under the control of Drugs and Alcohol S.A. (DASSA) and Mr Anderson retired. As DASSA is the biggest prescriber of opioids in the State there is a colossal conflict of interest in having them managing “the umpire”. Mr. Keith Evans, Executive Director of DASSA, and Dr. Robert Ali have both stated publicly that there has been no change in policy since DASSA took control of DDU. This is not so! DASSA’s philosophy in respect of drugs of dependency  appears to be one of intolerance  and they have embarked on a campaign to reduce the amount of medicinal opioids  that each patient is allowed. They have introduced an arbitrary ceiling on the amount of opioids a Medical Practitioner may prescribe for a patient  and have made it difficult for Medical Practitioners to comply with the demands of DDU. Numerous General Practitioners are now refusing to prescribe opioids for their patients. Decisions are being made in camera by DASSA’s Medical Director, Dr. Ali, and DDU’s Medical Review Board (Dr. Ali, Dr. David Cherry and a third unknown Medical Practitioner). Dr. Ali and the other members of the Review Board do not consult with the patients whose medical need for opioids they are assessing. They have a history of ignoring the patient’s Medical Practitioner’s opinion (often a very experienced Medical Specialist) and relying on rumour, innuendo or very outdated opinion. There is no appeal to decisions made by the Minister’s delegates!

Some of the recent decisions of DDU have had very bad effect on the health of seriously ill people. For example, a lady in a large country town was told by the Medical Review Committee that her dose of opioids was too high and as she was dependent she should go to a methadone clinic to be weaned off all opioids. She and her husband tried to get into a program but all the programs within reasonable traveling distance were full and they would not take her on. Whoever she spoke to at DDU apparently did not believe her or did not care and her application for the continuation of her medication was refused. Unlike the usual clientel of DASSA she did not have access to illicit drugs and went into withdrawal. On top of her chronic pain, now unrelieved, she experienced the additional pain of withdrawal and the other unpleasant, undignified symptoms. She has since managed to get onto a methadone program interstate. Unfortunately hers was not an isolated case of forced withdrawal that we are aware of. Most patients who have had their medication interfered with by DDU are too afraid to speak out because of a real fear of retribution!

Because most patients do not get full relief from their medication a small reduction (as measured by the medically unqualified staff at DDU) will be very distressing. A large reduction, change of medication to a less effective one or complete cessation of medication have had and are having very serious effects on the lives of very ill and vulnerable people. To date neither the DDU or the Public Hospital Pain Management Units have offered anybody alternative treatment or therapy to help with their chronic pain! Treatment of patients with chronic pain has, in a very short time, gone from meeting world best practice to that of a third world country. We have many examples of patients who were living a fulfilling life who are now completely unable to work, look after their families and in some cases themselves. These people are your constituents and need your help!

We would like to see the following changes:-

DDU moved back to the control of the Minister of Health but with some independence from the senior management of his department (i.e, answerable to the Minister directly).

The Manager of the DDU should be a Medical Practitioner or Pharmacist with experience in both drugs of addiction and pain management.

A right of appeal for patients should be introduced.

If you would like to receive a more complete briefing or any other information we can provide please contact me on <suppressed>.

Yours faithfully,
George Seabrook,
Hon. Secretary,
Dignity for Chronic Pain Sufferers Incorporated

Download: Click Here (4mb)

Link: http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20189630,00.html

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The article breifly describes the recent investment to challenge DASSA regarding it’s narcotics policy for people suffering from chronic pain.