Physician Under U.S. Senate and D.E.A. Investigation for 'Pain Clinic' Deaths Says Doctors Kill Thousands Due to 'Death Tables'

Change of heart, Mr. Webster -- I mean Dr. Webster -- to quote Harry Truman -- is the kitchen getting hot? Or my version "Is the DEA getting hot for you?"

Lynn M. Webster, MD

(MYRTLE BEACH, SC) - In 2012, Lynn M. Webster, MD, currently under U.S. Senate investigation as well as a D.E.A. investigation for up to two dozen deaths at his "pain clinic" in Utah stated that doctors kill thousands due to "death tables". My curiosity got the best of me. How could a doctor say that doctors killed up to two dozen people -- and two years later be under D.E.A. investigation for deaths at his Utah pain clinic?

Dr. Webster advised that a standard reference tool used by physicians was so inaccurate that physicians throughout the U.S. were killing patients from prescription painkillers-- according to his new unscientific study.

At issue are so-called "equianalgesic conversion tables." Physicians use the tables to calculate the proper dose when a patient is switching from one "opioid" painkiller to another. The tables display equivalent doses of various drugs.

"They're notoriously inaccurate," Webster said. "In fact, I call them 'the death table." Interesting term "death table" coming from a physician under investigation for up to two dozen deaths at his pain clinic.

Webster and Perry G. Fine, MD of the University of Utah co-authored a study, which is a review of medical literature and forensic reports from around the country. It was published in an issue of Pain Medicine, the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) -- Perry Fine was a past president and Lynn Webster is the current president of the AAPM. Here is a link http://www.painmed.org/pi-cme/files/aapm-pi-cme-module2-syllabus.pdf..

"We're basically on a campaign nationally to make sure that every physician who prescribes an opioid (addictive painkiller) understands they can't use these conversion tables," Webster said.

"A lot of the deaths have been attributed to using these conversion tables and starting patients on too high of a dose," Webster said. And Webster further states that drug addicts and long-term patients are also at risk. Interesting stuff Dr. Webster, but confusing to me.

"It could be somebody who's been on pain medication after a hip operation or a knee operation for several weeks and it's not working any more," Webster said. When a physician uses the conversion tables to estimate the proper dose, "It could be very far off from what's safe." Question Dr. Webster -- how much pain medication does any patient need after several weeks from hip or knee surgery?

Strange I thought Perry Fine, MD and his associate Russell Portenoy, MD - also under Senate investigation - were responsible for their parts in the authoring of the conversion tables. So why is Fine quick to agree with Webster that physicians all over the country are responsible for deaths of their patients? Perplexing to say the least.

Webster recommends that a prescribing physician gradually introduce the new painkiller while keeping the patient on the painkiller first prescribed. He said the original dose should be reduced by 10 to 30 percent while the new drug is used at the lowest available dose. Then the original drug should be reduced by 10 to 25 percent each week while the new drug dosage is gradually increased.

Seems like a lot of painkillers going through a body, but you're the experts Drs. Webster and Fine -- or are you? Webster says physicians share the blame for the situation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and pharmaceutical manufacturers which encourage doctors to use the conversion tables. FDA? Funny you should mention them Dr. Webster -- do you have any ties with the FDA?

"We came up with these estimates about how to determine what would be safe," Webster said, "but they're really not scientifically based." I believe you Dr. Webster that your new "study" is not scientific. Maybe I misunderstood though. After all I'm not under D.E.A. investigation and I'm not back peddling.

I recalled that several years ago, painkillers were discretely being marketed by Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin for something they called "pregnancy pain." I reported Purdue Pharma to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for this truly criminal marketing and Purdue Pharma "discretely" stopped marketing for "pregnancy pain". I was curious as to what Lynn Webster's position was on painkillers being prescribed to pregnant woman. I wasn't surprised by what I found.

“It’s not bad to be on opioids when you’re pregnant if you have good care,” Webster was quoted as saying. He went on to say we need to question how pregnancy outcomes would be affected without the drugs.

Not being a physician like Drs. Fine and Webster, the only thought that comes to my mind is the development of the baby's brain while the mother is on painkillers - addictive at that. But I never testified in court as did Dr. Fine as an expert witness in the Anna Nicole Smith trial relating to her death -- that 1,500 prescribed narcotics did not make Smith an addict. Bet that has haunted you since Dr. Fine.

In fact, while Webster was still president-elect of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, he used his "Twitter" account to reach all over the country by saying “There are consequences of not addressing pain in women who are pregnant." "   Lynn Webster, MD ‏@LynnRWebsterMD 2h

Just this week, Webster used Twitter to post "A terrible milestone in drug-dependent Tenn newborns. http://tiny.cc/ymk30w . State acts to require Rx monitoring." 

Change of heart, Mr. Webster -- I mean Dr. Webster -- to quote Harry Truman -- is the kitchen getting hot? Or my version "Is the DEA getting hot for you?"

LP -- thank you for giving the world "Thursday" but I gave them Friday. Which do you think they are happiest with? Aww still love you.

Marianne Skolek twitter.com/MarianneSkolek
Investigative Reporter for Salem-News.com on drug epidemic
www.salem-news.com/by_author.php?reporter=Marianne%20Skolek
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmPG1VjD61U&list=UUWoHUEr4ZAbQOfIqtOArjgg&index=6&feature=plcp
judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?id=e655f9e2809e5476862f735da12c8394&wit_id=e655f9e2809e5476862f735da12c8394-2-1
www.vawd.uscourts.gov/PurdueFrederickCo/default.asp
www.oxydeaths.com908-285-1232

Salem-News.com Investigative Reporter Marianne Skolek, is an Activist for Victims of OxyContin and Purdue Pharma throughout the United States and Canada. In July 2007, she testified against Purdue Pharma in Federal Court in Virginia at the sentencing of their three CEO's - Michael Friedman, Howard Udell and Paul Goldenheim - who pleaded guilty to charges of marketing OxyContin as less likely to be addictive or abused to physicians and patients. She also testified against Purdue Pharma at a Judiciary Hearing of the U.S. Senate in July 2007. Marianne works with government agencies and private attorneys in having a voice for her daughter Jill, who died in 2002 after being prescribed OxyContin, as well as the voice for scores of victims of OxyContin. She has been involved in her work for the past 8-1/2 years and is currently working on a book that exposes Purdue Pharma for their continued criminal marketing of OxyContin.

Marianne is a nurse having graduated in 1991 as president of her graduating class. She also has a Paralegal certification. Marianne served on a Community Service Board for the Courier News, a Gannet newspaper in NJ writing articles predominantly regarding AIDS patients and their emotional issues. She was awarded a Community Service Award in 1993 by the Hunterdon County, NJ HIV/AIDS Task Force in recognition of and appreciation for the donated time, energy and love in facilitating a Support Group for persons with HIV/AIDS.