Local Pain Medicine Specialist Calls for Zero Unintentional Deaths
September 20, 2006Statewide Education Campaign Goes National
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Dr. Lynn R. Webster, President of the Utah Academy of Pain Medicine and Medical Director of Lifetree Clinical Research® & Pain Clinic in Salt Lake City, announced that his statewide educational campaign entitled “Zero Unintentional Deaths” has officially become a national campaign to educate doctors, chronic pain sufferers and communities across the country about the increasingly serious issue of unintentional overdose deaths with prescription medications. Dr. Webster will highlight this issue as a medical expert on ABC News’ 20/20 program this Friday, September 22, 2006.
“There are too many unintentional overdose deaths from opioids, which are narcotic medications used for treating pain”, says Dr. Webster. “Many die because they are simply trying to escape the pain. It is a tragedy that can be prevented for many chronic pain sufferers, and this story needs to be told to the American public.”
Dr. Webster began the education process with a personal statewide campaign in Utah entitled “Zero Unintentional Deaths” on June 15, 2006 in Vernal, Utah where he presented for the Ashley Valley Medical Center medical staff. On August 16, 2006, Dr. Webster presented to nearly 250 persons at a Lifetree Clinical Research© free community event in West Valley City, Utah. He has additional presentations scheduled for medical staffs in Hawaii (October 21, 2006), Brigham City, Utah (November 1), and Cedar City/St. George, Utah (October 6, 2006), where he will also present a free community seminar and dinner the evening prior on October 5, 2006 for up to 250 persons at the Holiday Inn Resort in St. George. Dr. Webster is also working on presenting to medical staffs in five additional Utah communities outside of Salt Lake City to which include Logan, Ogden, Price, Orem/Provo, and Richfield. Dr. Webster will also meet with State representatives and media in those communities to educate the general public about this critical issue.
Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem nationally, and unfortunately Utah has had the greatest increase in methadone related deaths in the country. Dr. Webster is currently working, on the behalf of the Utah Academy of Pain Medicine, with the Utah Department of Health to find a way to study the problem of unintentional overdose deaths in Utah and find solutions to the problem without compromising access to pain therapy. He has proposed to develop a study that will utilize a root-cause analysis in a sophisticated way to understand the risk factors that are causing deaths. If approved, this research will be conducted on a national scale. But this research will take time to fund and conduct, and Dr. Webster knows we can’t wait for research results. He recognizes the immediate need to get the information in the forefront nationwide and take action to begin educating providers about the appropriate use of opioids as part of pain management.
Dr. Webster is a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist and Pain Medicine Specialist. He is dedicated to treating patients in pain while simultaneously working to minimize the potential for abuse, addiction and unintentional overdoses. Dr. Webster is also certified in addiction treatment, and he hopes that by providing education to doctors, chronic pain sufferers and statewide communities, we can get a handle on the big pain problem in America and reach his goal of “Zero Unintentional Deaths” with chronic pain patients.
