OUT OF LOOP ON PAINKILLERS

Toronto -- Re Marijuana Regulation Draws Fire (July 31):

This ruling certainly was fuelled by politics rather than sense and
science. As a physician subspecializing in chronic pain, I am highly aware
that many of my colleagues have poor knowledge of legal painkillers
currently available, let alone a knowledge of one so poorly standardized
and researched as marijuana.

Chronic non-cancer pain that has been present for a long time can sometimes
be poorly responsive to even the strongest painkillers, such as morphine,
and such patients who have tried marijuana have often not found much
difference.

Also, ironically, physicians subspecializing in chronic pain who have come
from a background of family practice and I, despite being at the forefront
of chronic-pain knowledge, will not be allowed to prescribe marijuana for
appropriate patients because we have no formal specialty qualification.

The legislation requires two "specialists" to prescribe if the patient is
not dying. Really well thought out!

J. Gardner-Nix, MB, BS, PhD, MRCP (UK)
Cchronic pain consultant
Pain Management Program, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre