Pills Vs. Pot: Man says he has to choose
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. -- A Dixonville man says he's in pain, and he blames a new policy at several local clinics.
Glen Hedberg has osteoporosis. He's had a hip replaced, and now he says his other hip is cracked and deteriorating, and also needs to be replaced.
He's been on different medications for 15 years. Glen used to take 160 milligrams a day of methadone.
But, he's been able to cut back to just over 20 milligrams a day thanks to one thing: medical marijuana.
Now, Hedberg says his clinic isn't allowing him to continue both treatments. "They won't prescribe me no narcotics at all unless I quit using the medical marijuana card," he told KPIC News.
The Umpqua Community Health Center sent Hedberg a letter detailing the change in policy.
According to the letter, because the center is federally funded, they needed to adhere to federal guidelines.
"I'm on medical marijuana still, and they gave me the choice: either my pain pills or my narcotics," he said. "All because of federal dollars. All because of money."
Glen says the change has left him sick and in pain, and he doesn't think it's fair.
"Why should the people have to suffer because the state and the federal agencies are having a disagreement? It's not fair to us, the people."
KPIC News spoke with Linda Mullins, the CEO of the center, on the phone. Mullins said that there is no known research on the effects of opiate narcotic use combined with marijuana, and that it became a safety concern, on top of the federal funding issue.
So, for the safety of their patients and to keep much needed federal dollars, Mullins says the clinic adopted the new practice.
Hedberg says it's left him with no options.
Pills vs Pot, Man says he has to choose?
Wow lumping social security in here is really a stretch-yes they did draw on social security a program they paid into and never came close to recouping what they paid. Fortunately this country was not burdened by socialistic demands during its development. Continuing down this path will surely bankrupt this country, Europe has been trying this experiment and is already looking over the edge. Trying to make the government the provider of all creates an elite class to tell people what they can and can't do or get. It is time to get back to the tenants of the constitution, shrink the size and scope of government and demand personal responsibiliy.
Whatever happened to personal responsibility? I claim personal responsibility for my health issues. I donât except taxpayers to pay for my medication or my health. Heath care is NOT a right itâs a privilege. My parents were born and grew up in the great depression, they never once asked for government funding. Why do all these people have the attitude that they deserve something after making bad choices? I know the economy is down and it is tough for people, especially in Douglas County, but where did the entitlement attitude come from?   Certainly the progressive liberals have fueled this expectation. Our own legislators daily tell these people someone else should pay. Big government is not the answer and is steering this once great nation to the cliff. When this country was started it was based on limited government not socialism.  Our greatness comes from individual responsibility not government oversight.  Liberals and those that are willing to depend on others have proven that this country has exceeded the ability of those who are willing to work to carry those who are willing to let them. Bad personal decision should result in bad outcomes not the âgive meâ mentality.  As an aside since when is it good medicine to light something on fire and suck it into your lungs? Basic physiology should be the obvious answer.
 @Reality This is not about who pays; it is about patients' right to participate in their own medical care and the right to chose what they are willing or want to do to treat a medical condition.  This is not about folks being on any taxpayer funded medical program such as: OHP, other medicaid, or medicare; it is about Patient Choice.Â
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Doctors and other primary care providers need to practice good medicine, which includes educating themselves about the science. They are not trained or paid to be law enforcement or moral advisers; they are trained and paid to practice medicine. That is what they need to start doing in this community. Â
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This does not mean that medical professionals should not be aware of diversion and addiction, but to assume that someone who suffers chronic pain and wants the treatment regime to include marijuana is either stupid or a junkie flies in the face of what this country stands for. So maybe we need to really reconsider who we give taxpayer dollars to regarding medical care, but not for the reasons you mention.Â
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Take care,
 @Reality Many of us believe that health care should be a right enjoyed by all Americans. I find your rant disturbing in that it in now way addresses entitlements to corporations, the military, which is completely socialist,..... and the wealthy, only the poor, sick and elderly. Soft targets. I would point out that in all likelihood ..in fact, without a doubt, your parents ..and you...benefited either directly or indirectly from the Depression social programs
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a few of them include:
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Social Security
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Of course this is about pushing an ant-pot agenda. Mullin's husband is a retired Douglas County sheriff with strong personal views.Â
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Notice how the system forces you to use pharmaceuticals? Lawyers, cops, prisons, rehabs, government agencies, and pharmaceutical corporations all rely on marijuana prohibition for money. Billions and billions of dollar that could be better spent.
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"Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution." - Clay Shirky
Curious as to why I don't see any comment on trying to fix the hip and get away from the "drugs". His hip needs to be replaced and I only see the comments that he needs his narcotics. Lets see an end to the problem...fix the hip, get off the narotics that you have been on for over 15 years!!!! On whose dime?? Taxpayers!
@lpedersen It's not fair to assume that the taxpayers are paying for this mans medication. Even if they are he obviously needs it. How many pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers are on federal aassistance? You could tell by going to portland and investigating a few of the street people there. I have had total dhoulder replacement and also suffer from osteoperosis, and arthritis. My shoulder still has some pain and nothing can be done for the other dibilitating pain. I too have to choose, because doctors won't perscribe both. At times the marijuanan does fine but there are times when I really need an actual narcortic perscription. By the way the tax payers do not pay for any of my meds. I DO!
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 @lpedersen Are you saying that only taxpayers deserve to have medical care, everyone who can't pay taxes does not? Unfortunately my father is a land owner and taxpayer and got the same letter. He deserves to be treated as an individual. My father, who I will not name here, has saved lives in this county with his job for 30 years until he retired. He has severe arthritic pain. He paid taxes his entire life, and now the medical center he goes to because he pays CASH is telling him that he has no right to the same pain treatment he has had for many years. BOLOGNA!!!!
I hope you investigate Ms. Mullins claims. I could not find any documentation regarding their claim that continued use of narcotic or other pain medications along with marijuana would have any affect on federally qualified health centers such as UCHC.  In fact, it would not necessarily be illegal or medically inappropriate for them to prescribe narcotics knowing someone is illegal using marijuana.
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Ask Ms Mullins to produce a Code of Federal Regulations, a United States Code or any other documentation from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (they fund UCHC, as well as the Oregon Health Plan that also funds UCHC.) to prove her claim that their funding could be in jeopardy.
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I believe that Ms. Mullins may be misleading KPIC regarding medical/scientific support for the use of marijuana and narcotics. Â
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Oregon has a Pain Commission whose purpose is to education practitioners and medical facilities regarding the appropriate treatment of chronic pain. Maybe Ms. Mullins should read their guidelines and information about the use of marijuana in the treatment of pain.  It may be that failing to treat chronic pain that the person in the story has is a violation of the Oregon's Intractable Pain Law. The Oregon Board of Medical Examiners is suppose to hold doctors accountable who fail to treat pain appropriately.
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Do not be fooled. This is not about practicing medicine; it is about practicing morality. Â
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A group of citizens will be having a meeting in the next few weeks regarding this issue, which is not only a problem with UCHC, but with all taxpayer funded health clinics in our community. Â
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Legally doctors and other professionals are not subject to any discipline or problems if they follow the guidelines in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. The federal government will do nothing to penalize those who do. To represent otherwise is a lie.
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Given UCHC is almost exclusively paid with tax dollars to practice medicine, we the taxpayers should insist that this what they do and quit trying to use our money to overturn a law a majority of voting citizens decided in favor of.  If they are using tax dollars to discriminate and try to circumvent state law, maybe we need to pull the plug. The same goes for the clinic established by ADAPT, as well as DCIPA's Umpqua Regional Medical Center.  All exist because of taxpayer dollars.
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i'm going thru the same thing. Â This even happens with taking non narcotic pain pills and marijuana. Â Problem with me is i need to take the medical marijuana just so i can hold the pain pill down, because i have a bad stomach