Pain Clinic Founder Lynn Webster - Now Subject of DEA Investigation

Founder of DEA raided 'pain clinic' now under investigation by Senate and Drug Enforcement Agency.

Lynn Webster, MD photo courtesy: painmed.org

(MYRTLE BEACH, SC) - Lynn Webster, MD is now under Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) investigation and admits deaths due to drug overdoses at his pain clinic in Utah.

I have written about Lynn Webster, MD being under US Senate investigation for his potential part in the opioid prescribing epidemic resulting in deaths and addictions throughout the U.S. Links to my articles about Webster's trail to forge the use of long-term opioids are shown below.

Now Webster has raised the eyes of the DEA and is under investigation for medical treatment administered to his patients at his pain clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah called Lifetree Clinical Research and Pain Clinic (Lifetree)...

In Dr. Webster's well received book directed to the medical profession entitled "Avoiding Opioid Abuse While Managing Pain - A Guide for Practitioners" written in 2007, he indicates he is Medical Director of Lifetree. Currently, he is President-Elect of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) - also under Senate investigation.

There is an opioid quote in Webster's book that may have encouraged the medical profession to freely prescribe opioids for long-term use. It is "Opioids offer safe, effective treatment for many chronic pain conditions and pose little risk of addiction for most patients who take them to control pain. However, some patients treated with opioids do display behaviors consistent with addiction." Consistent with addiction, Dr. Webster? How about saying it the way it truly is -- there is a "high" risk of addiction while taking opioids -- and patients don't display behavior consistent with addiction......they are addicted. Your junk science may just have peaked the interest not only of the U.S. Senate, but now the D.E.A., Dr. Webster.

In an interview, Webster said "I do not know precisely how many former clinic patients died of an opioid overdose. At most it could be 20. Many of those probably were suicides. I don’t think any of the deaths were for scripts I wrote. They were from staff.” In some states, including Utah, nurse practitioners and physician assistants can write prescriptions if they are supervised by a doctor. Is this called throwing your staff under the bus, Dr. Webster?

What I find especially interesting about Webster's pain clinic, Lifetree, is that he lists himself as "Director and Founder". The President of Lifetree is listed as an Alice Jackson, R.N. as well as Founder. An R.N. President of a pain clinic treating thousands of patients? Wonder why -- and will the D.E.A. wonder also?

Perry Fine MD Courtesy: article.wn.com

Maybe the D.E.A. investigation has to do with Webster's pain clinic being raided in 2010 by the D.E.A. Webster has admitted to approximately 20 former patients of Lifetree having died of opioid overdoses.

Martin Grabois, the current president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, labeled the situation Webster is facing as concerning, but asked: "What's the proof?" "When you order medications like these, you are prone to get potentially investigated," said Grabois, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "That does not mean you're doing something wrong. He's always been a stand-up guy, very interested in safety."

In response to the DEA investigation and potential malpractice lawsuits, Webster's attorney asked another pain specialist, Perry Fine, MD to review a number of overdose cases from the clinic.

Readers may be familiar with the name Perry Fine, MD. I also wrote about him (links provided below). Fine testified for the defense as an expert in the death of celebrity Anna Nicole Smith. In his testimony, Dr. Fine acknowledged that Ms. Smith took approximately 1,500 painkillers a month -- but according to the "expert" on pain -- it did not make Smith an addict.

So you have to know how relieved I am that Dr. Fine is reviewing the number of overdose deaths in Dr. Webster's nurse run clinic. The bar is raised to 1,500 painkillers don't make an addict, Dr. Fine -- care to lower it before it comes down on you along with Dr. Webster?

LP -- For being such a support to me in my work - for all the encouragement -- for all the love -- for all the constructive input -- I return it all to you a thousand times and always will.

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.