UK Prepares for 'U.S. Pain Champion', Lynn Webster, MD Who Pushes 'The Low Risk of Addiction to Opioids'

The UK may also not be aware that the DEA raided Dr. Webster's pain clinic in Utah and there is an ongoing DEA investigation into the toll of deaths at his clinic.

Lynn R. Webster, MD

(MYRTLE BEACH, SC) - The self-proclaimed pain champion physician of America, Lynn Webster, MD will be speaking at the 15th Annual Phase I&IIa Clinical Trials to be held on February 25 and 26 in Lancaster London UK.   Prevention of Unintentional Death in Chronic Pain Management
Lynn R. Webster, MD, FACPM, FASAM, American Academy of Pain Medicine, CRI Lifetree
0.75 credits

http://www.informa-ls.com/event/phase12014/speakers

This is part of the conference write-up on Webster and his expertise in the field of pain management that may have the UK in awe of the resume of the good doctor -- but right now he is rather toxic to the medical profession in the U.S.

For 25 years he treated patients with chronic pain, many of whom were at high risk for substance abuse. For 15 of those years, he also treated individuals with opioid addiction. The dual role lends Dr. Webster a valuable perspective: He is dedicated to treating patients in pain while simultaneously working to minimize the potential for harm from pain medications.

As developer of the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT), he is considered a world expert on how to assess patients for abuse risk with opioid medications. The ORT is currently used in multiple countries and thousands of clinics worldwide. He spends most of his time now developing safer and more effective therapies for chronic pain and campaigning for safer use of medications.

More on Dr. Webster's "Opioid Risk Tool" and why the UK may need a shovel to dig out from under what Webster will try to plant in the UK. In the meantime, here is some information that may dispute the "valuable perspective" Webster will be providing to the medical profession in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Dr. Webster was quoted in a publication called Newsday in January 2012 as saying about the prescription drug epidemic in the U.S. and Canada -- "I am not sure I would use the word epidemic. There is a public health crisis, but not an epidemic." Webster said critics too often overstate the degree to which people are addicted. Since the Senate Finance Committee is investigating Webster and the American Academy of Pain (which is funded by the pharmaceutical industry and which Webster has served as President) for their financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry, the UK may find the statement that the U.S. is in a "public health crisis" and "not an epidemic" as relates to the soaring addictions and deaths to opioids around the country interesting.

The UK may also not be aware that our Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) raided Dr. Webster's pain clinic in Utah and there is an ongoing DEA investigation into the toll of deaths at his clinic. Are things getting too hot for Webster in the U.S. as his credibility with the medical profession wanes and investigations into his affiliations are waged? The UK may be very inviting to him since the UK receives less than half the pain medication as the U.S. according to the "Drug Control and Access to Medicines Consortium", a UK academic research group that studies issues related to medicine and drugs. This could very well be fresh bait for Webster as he becomes the shark swimming into the UK to play down the risks of addiction and death to opioids.

So what can the snake oil doctor pull out of his suitcase to remain valuable to the pharmaceutical industry in pushing opioids for non-cancer, long term use in the UK? Now the extra strength snake oil is revealed -- it's called the "Opioid Risk Assessment" form as designed by Dr. Webster for use by the medical profession.

 My edits in Italics: