C-50
Who Are We?
The Coalition of 50 State Pain Advocacy Groups (C-50) is designed to bring pain patients together to fight the unfair, overly broad state and federal legislation, regulations, and guidelines restricting access to pain controlling medications. Many states have passed or are about the pass legislation to restrict access to opioid-based medications. The federal government, through its various agencies (including CMS, the FDA, the CDC, etc.), have revealed or proposed regulations and guidelines to do the same. We are now facing nearly 100 opioid bills pending before Congress, which will continue to have a devastating affect on medically fragile and chronically ill pain patients. We need to work together at the state and federal levels to be heard.
The C-50 began with the Washington State Pain Advocacy Group last September by chronic pain patients and their advocates to coordinate patient advocacy push back against the third WA state anti opiod bill. We created information packets, gathered patient testimonies and provided public comment at six months of the Washington State Department of Health Opioid Prescribing Committee meetings. When we would broadcast from the prescribing meetings, pain patients from around the country would message us, asking how they could become involved in their states. Members from every state are finding us, but we need lots of help to get everyone educated and trained (if needed) to meet as a group with their Congresspeople, hearings and public gatherings. We are looking for medical community members and other health care professionals to join us at these meetings and we will include home bound pain patients via Skype and telephone.
Many of us are just an appointment away from losing out pain medications. Our doctors aren't prescribing, out insurers are denying claims and coverage, and our pharmacies cannot or will not fill prescriptions. We are all very concerned about the DEA cuts in manufacturing and crackdowns on prescribing physicians, and how that might affect us. Many people think that as a single voice, they cannot make a different; however, you CAN help! Please ask your friends, loved ones, doctors, and clinicians to join us. With many surgeons now using only nerve blocks and Tylenol for serious surgeries, many more people are suffering. Even cancer and Palliative Care patients often cannot obtain pain relief and hospitals and pharmacies are facing serious shortages of pain medication. Are you or your loved ones going to be the next to suffer? Please join us now!
Valorie Padgett Hawk/C-50 Director: I used to work for Congress and in other political arenas, until I was hit by a truck. I created all 50 Facebook Pain Advocacy Grouops in one long night and have been continually tracked, shut out, and slowed down by Facebook, I have been diagnosed with Syringomyelia, TOC, and a host of other conditions.
The C-50 began with the Washington State Pain Advocacy Group last September by chronic pain patients and their advocates to coordinate patient advocacy push back against the third WA state anti opiod bill. We created information packets, gathered patient testimonies and provided public comment at six months of the Washington State Department of Health Opioid Prescribing Committee meetings. When we would broadcast from the prescribing meetings, pain patients from around the country would message us, asking how they could become involved in their states. Members from every state are finding us, but we need lots of help to get everyone educated and trained (if needed) to meet as a group with their Congresspeople, hearings and public gatherings. We are looking for medical community members and other health care professionals to join us at these meetings and we will include home bound pain patients via Skype and telephone.
Many of us are just an appointment away from losing out pain medications. Our doctors aren't prescribing, out insurers are denying claims and coverage, and our pharmacies cannot or will not fill prescriptions. We are all very concerned about the DEA cuts in manufacturing and crackdowns on prescribing physicians, and how that might affect us. Many people think that as a single voice, they cannot make a different; however, you CAN help! Please ask your friends, loved ones, doctors, and clinicians to join us. With many surgeons now using only nerve blocks and Tylenol for serious surgeries, many more people are suffering. Even cancer and Palliative Care patients often cannot obtain pain relief and hospitals and pharmacies are facing serious shortages of pain medication. Are you or your loved ones going to be the next to suffer? Please join us now!
Valorie Padgett Hawk/C-50 Director: I used to work for Congress and in other political arenas, until I was hit by a truck. I created all 50 Facebook Pain Advocacy Grouops in one long night and have been continually tracked, shut out, and slowed down by Facebook, I have been diagnosed with Syringomyelia, TOC, and a host of other conditions.
