Our View on the Backlash to the Opioid Crisis

Window sign was unauthorized, untrue

Physician Partners of America (PPOA) as an organization is sensitive to the current backlash to the opioid crisis and the new prescribing laws that have resulted. We recognize a growing movement of law abiding chronic pain patients who rely on long-term “maintenance” doses of opioid pain medication.

In particular, we would like to address a sign that was placed in the window of one of our practices on May 14, implying that we will cease prescribing opioid medication to patients as of May 31, 2019.

Patients are and will continue to be titrated down according to CDC guidelines; however, there is no cut-off date.

This sign was brought to our attention through social media. It was in no way authorized or approved by management, and its message is untrue. It resulted from an employee’s misinterpretation of our goal to reduce opioid dependence.

At its foundation, PPOA uses interventional pain management modalities to treat pain at its source instead of masking it with medication. Our physicians come to our organization with a variety of backgrounds and use many modalities to treat chronic pain. They are medical pioneers like Dr. Phillip Kravetz, researchers like Dr. Neil Ellis and Dr. Michael Lupi, and inventors like Dr. Lesco Rogers.

Treatments may include Stimwave, trigger point injections, nerve blocks, minimally invasive spine procedures with and without laser assistance, Botox injections for migraines, neuromodulation and regenerative medicine. Physicians may also utilize a variety of medications – including topical, oral and intrathecal – to reduce pain.

We use pharmacogenomics to determine the safest dosage and medication type based on each patient’s genome, and intraoperative neuromonitoring

We have championed remedies to the opioid crisis in public forums, in the media, in televised town halls and at medical conventions. PPOA physicians strictly follow the prescribing laws of the states in which they operate.

We recognize the opioid crisis backlash. As an organization, we sympathize with the plight of people who rely on, but who do not intentionally abuse, prescription opioid medications to manage their chronic pain. We aim to show them what we consider a better, safer way to reduce or eliminate pain.

We will continue to engage in serious, thoughtful discussions toward finding a middle ground that balances patient concerns, federal guidelines and state laws.

We thank the public for input on this sensitive topic and invite you to learn more about who we are and what we do on our website.