The Doctor Patient Forum

The Doctor Patient Forum

By: The Doctor Patient Forum

Language: en

Categories: Business, Non-profit

The Doctor Patient Forum is a national advocacy organization defending pain patients and the prescribers who treat them. We expose the truth about opioid policy, forced tapers, and patient abandonment. We expose the opioid elimination movement, and those at the center of it. Join Bev Schechtman and Claudia Merandi as we break down FDA moves, prescription surveillance systems like NarxCare, and the politics of addiction medicine. Because pain relief shouldn’t be a crime.

Episodes

The Dismantling of Pain Care by Addiction Medicine, And the Patients Sacrificed. A Decade of Harm.
Jan 10, 2026

This episode documents how pain care in the United States was dismantled, not accidentally, but through deliberate policy choices that elevated addiction medicine over pain treatment and left millions of patients behind.

Bev Schechtman, Vice President of The Doctor Patient Forum (DPF), walks through the history of opioid policy, the rise of addiction medicine’s influence over pain care, and the real-world consequences for patients and doctors. This includes how clinical judgment has been replaced by fear, risk profiling, and enforcement-driven medicine.

The discussion covers:

How the opioid crisis narrative reshaped pain care

...

Duration: 00:30:25
Why Pain Patients Became the Villains of the Opioid Crisis - Episode 58
Sep 18, 2025

Why are pain patients treated like criminals, while people on Suboxone are celebrated as brave survivors?This isn’t just stigma, it’s a system. One that quietly rewrote the rules of who deserves compassion... and who gets discarded.In this video, we introduce a lens called Critical Drug Theory, based on Critical Theory, which helps explain how power, identity, and moral narratives shape public policy. It’s a way to understand why people with addiction are often seen as victims in need of care, while stable pain patients are labeled as privileged or problematic, even when both need medica...

Duration: 01:33:36
20+ Yrs Fighting Opioid Myths, Dr. Chad Kollas on the FDA’s Latest Move
Aug 26, 2025

Dr. Chad Kollas has spent more than two decades challenging myths and misinformation about opioids in pain care. In this episode, he joins us to break down the FDA’s latest opioid label changes, explain why they matter for patients, and share his perspective as a palliative care physician who has been on the frontlines of this debate since the early 2000s.

We talk about:

The significance of the FDA's new opioid label

The ethical failures of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in pain patients

How propaganda has shaped the narrative around op...

Duration: 01:22:42
Scored. Flagged. Medically Abandoned. Forgotten. Unveiling NarxCare: The Hidden Scoring System in Your Medical Records
Apr 22, 2025

🎙️ Episode 56

Scored. Flagged. Medically Abandoned. Forgotten.
Unveiling NarxCare: The Hidden Scoring System in Your Medical Records

This is a rerelease of a 2022 podcast episode featuring attorney Jennifer D. Oliva.

In this powerful conversation, Bev Schechtman and Claudia Merandi of The Doctor Patient Forum sit down with Professor Oliva to expose the implications of NarxCare and Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) on patient care — particularly for those living with chronic pain.

They explore the secretive nature of risk-scoring algorithms, the lack of transparency in PDMP data, and the systemic discrimination embedded in thes...

Duration: 01:32:36
Prescription for Disaster: The Untold Truth of CDC’s Opioid Guidelines and their Fatal Impact: A CDC Physician's Person Account
Jan 28, 2025

In this conversation, Claudia, Bev, and Dr. Charles LeBaron discuss his experience with a severe painful illness. After he struggled accessing opioids, he started investigating CDC's opioid guidelines and their tragic result. LeBaron Bio For more than twenty-eight years, Charles LeBaron worked as a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While there, he was the author of more than fifty scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals, including first- or senior-author papers in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association. He was co-recipient of CDC’s Charles C. Sh...

Duration: 01:47:12
"It Is a Privilege To Treat a Patient" with Dr. David Alfery - Episode 54
Oct 29, 2024

Dr. David Alfery's Bio

Dr. David Alfery was raised in the North but moved to Louisiana to attend Tulane University where he graduated with a BA degree in English.  He then attended LSU Medical School in New Orleans.  After graduating, he took the Louisiana State Medical Licensing Exam where he received the highest grade out of approximately 400 new doctors from the three medical schools in the state.  He spent a year as a surgical intern at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky and then did his residency in anesthesia at the University of California in San Die...

Duration: 01:19:03
Rerelease of "I Failed My Drug Test, But It's Wrong, Now What"? Episode 53
Oct 08, 2024

The audio of this podcast was originally posted on 11/2/23. This is the video version. We are posting this again because one of the most common questions we get have to due with drug testing.

We often hear from pain patients who were dismissed from their doctor for failing their drug test. They say there is no way the test is right. Ed Brown gives some possible explanations.

Edward Brown's Bio:

Edward G. Brown is a chemistry expert with over twenty-five years of laboratory research experience, over 5 years of patent work experience and over...

Duration: 01:01:06
A Medical Witch Hunt Leads to 87 Months in Prison
Sep 24, 2024

Dr. Joe Parker is our guest. Listen to what led to his prison sentence.


Dr. Parker's Bio

Dr. Joseph Parker’s career spans the fields of science, military service, and medical practice. He has used his rare blend of scientific expertise, military leadership, and medical acumen to contribute significantly to the advancement of science and the betterment of human health and safety. He writes as an advocate for physicians and patients and for the humane treatment of those suffering from addiction and the incarcerated. His journey towards this impactful role began with fo...

Duration: 01:00:31
Stigma Part 3 - "The Goal is to Force Taper Every Single Pain Patient Down to Zero" Episode 51
Aug 27, 2024

Episode 51

Stigma Part 3 - "The Goal is to Force Taper Every Single Pain Patient Down to Zero"

We show using clips the disparity between how experts teach doctors to treat pain patients and how they teach doctors to treat people w SUD.

⁠If you missed part 1, here it is⁠

If you missed part 2, here it is

We took clips from the following videos/podcasts:

We used clips from the following links:

1. https://youtu.be/JjGfimiRZmk?si=CnrIAflx07hjwVV2 - Alyson Smith

2. https://youtu.be/_G...

Duration: 01:16:02
Choosing Hospice to Access Pain Relief, Darren's Story - Episode 50
Jul 30, 2024

Episode 50

We interview Kara Cook about her study about the Controlled Substance Act and unintended harms. Kara's brother-in-law, Darren, tragically lost his life at 40 years old due to lack of access to opioids. Kara Cook is concurrently a lecturer in the Department of Statistics and a doctoral candidate in the PhD program in Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the College of Public Health.  Her research interests include advancing our understanding of public health issues, with a primary focus on substance use disorder and its intersection with public policy.  She is interested in using statistical methodologies to gather evidence ab...

Duration: 01:15:53
Stigma Part 2 "Pain Patients Are Lying Manipulative Malingerers Who Need a Priest Not a Doctor" - Episode 49
Jul 02, 2024

This is Part 2 of our stigma series. "Pain Patients Are Lying Manipulative Malingerers Who Need a Priest, Not a Doctor."

We show an addiction doctor discussing stigma in SUD patients, and compare what's happening to pain patients.

If you missed part 1, here it is:

We took clips from the following videos/podcasts:

1. May Arkansas Pain Community

2. MOC SUD Stigma

3. CDC Guidelines - Dr. Paul Coelho

4. Curbsiders Podcast - Dr. Daniel Clauw

5. AMDG Panel

6. Shatterproof and Pacira Lobbyist

7. Frank Sweeny...

Duration: 01:05:31
Patient Abandonment Due to the Feds in North Dakota - Episode 48
Jun 13, 2024

Bev talks to Beth Steckler about the large amounts of patients who are newly abandoned in North Dakota.

A clinic's prescriber lost her ability to prescribe due to the Feds. This is a huge crisis happening nationwide.

Here is our previous podcast with Beth.

If you're a patient and lost your prescriber, here are some steps to take.

The Doctor Patient Forum is a national nonprofit organization fighting for the rights of pain patients and their providers. We bring awareness to the untreated pain and patient abandonment crisis. We are also...

Duration: 01:19:12
Tips From Dr. Mike - "Your First Appointment Will Tell You Everything You Need to Know" - Episode 47
Jun 04, 2024

We finally sat down with Dr. Mike from TikTok! His advice for chronic pain patient is invaluable!

Dr. Mike's TikTok @drmikethor

Michael Thorarinson, DNP, RN, FNP-BC received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and his Masters of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his Doctorate in Nursing Practice at Gardner-Webb University. He provides primary care and pain management at our clinic in Southern Winston-Salem, NC.  He is extremely passionate about the training of new provid...

Duration: 00:59:13
The Professional Gaslighters - Stigma Series -Part 1 - Episode 46
May 07, 2024

This is part 1 in our stigma series.

Brandy Novicka recently joined our team at The Doctor Patient Forum. Brandy is a resilient spinal advocate living with multiple conditions, including spina bifida occulta, scoliosis, rotoscoliosis, kyphosis, rotated rib cage, spondylolisthesis, spondylosis, pars defect, drop foot, SI joint dysfunction, DDD, nerve damage, and more. Despite undergoing extensive spinal fusions and coping with chronic pain, Brandy has defied the odds by pursuing her passion for fitness and athletics. A former college basketball player, high school basketball coach, and aspiring gym teacher, Brandy has transformed her experiences into a powerful advocacy...

Duration: 01:16:33
Converting Advocacy Into a Crime With Jacob Sullum - Episode 45
Apr 09, 2024

If you would like to contact Jacob, please email him at: Jsullum@reason.com

Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason magazine and a nationally syndicated columnist. He is the author of Saying Yes: In Defense of Drug Use (Tarcher/Penguin) and For Your Own Good: The Anti-Smoking Crusade and the Tyranny of Public Health (Free Press). He is writing a book about the parallels between drug control and gun control, to be published by Prometheus Books in 2025.

Sullum’s weekly syndicated column, distributed by Creators Syndicate, is carried by newspapers across the country, in...

Duration: 01:11:16
Crossing the Feds With Atty. Ron Chapman -Episode 44
Mar 12, 2024

Atty. Ron Champan's bio

Atty Ron Chapman’s trial background, health care experience, and strategic approach to litigation make him a highly sought-after health care defense and federal criminal defense attorney, by health care entities and practitioners nationally who are facing suspicion or charges of health care fraud, not maintaining DEA compliance, or unlawful prescribing.

A former prosecutor and recipient of an L.L.M. in health care, Ron’s specialization levels the playing field for clients facing government scrutiny in the health care and federal criminal defense arena. 

As a former prosecutor and veteran...

Duration: 01:00:36
The Suicide Study - Dr. Stefan Kertesz - Episode 43
Feb 15, 2024

Dr. Stefan Kertesz' Bio:

Stefan Kertesz is a physician at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Since 1996, Dr. Kertesz has focused his work on helping populations at high risk of receiving poor care, including people with pain whose care has changed a great deal in the wake of the US opioid crisis. He's certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine. Dr. Kertesz leads the only federally funded study that seeks to examine suicides occurring after prescription opioids are reduced in people with long-term pain. His team does this...

Duration: 01:05:37
"I Went To Prison For Treating My Patient's Pain" Part 2 - Dr. Henson - Episode 42
Jan 17, 2024

Here is Part 1 in case you missed it.

Dr. Henson was sent to prison for treating his patients' pain. This is part 2 of a two-part series with Dr. Henson.

This is Dr. Steven R. Henson, M.D. - Biography

"I have been a Career Physician working in the Emergency Room at a Level 1 Trauma Center. I was also the Executive Medical Director for the Nation’s second largest Air Medical Transport Company providing critical medical services to 16 states in both helicopters and airplanes. Think of this as a flying ICU. I trained nurses an...

Duration: 00:35:12
"I Went To Prison For Treating My Patient's Pain" Part 1 - Dr. Henson - Episode 41
Jan 03, 2024

Dr. Henson was sent to prison for treating his patients' pain. This is part 1 of a two-part series with Dr. Henson.

This is Dr. Steven R. Henson, M.D. - Biography

"I have been a Career Physician working in the Emergency Room at a Level 1 Trauma Center. I was also the Executive Medical Director for the Nation’s second largest Air Medical Transport Company providing critical medical services to 16 states in both helicopters and airplanes. Think of this as a flying ICU. I trained nurses and paramedics to function in this critical care environment.
Ad...

Duration: 01:05:50
ORRP Part 3 - Redefining "Continuity of Care" Episode 40
Dec 19, 2023

This is the 3rd and final part to our ORRP (Opioid Rapid Response Program) Series


This program is funded to help support abandoned pain patients after a law enforcement action. ⁠Here is Part 1⁠, in case you missed it. Here is Part 2.

We took clips from the following videos/podcasts for this podcast:

ASTHO - Video 4 ASTHO - Video links in this document Trusted Contact Video Series COSSUP - Webinar


For the full list of all documents claiming ORRP exists and works, please go to our⁠ Patreon Page⁠

Duration: 01:05:27

ORRP Part 2 - Does the Opioid Rapid Response Program Exist? Episode 39
Nov 30, 2023

This is part 2 or our 3 part series on ORRP - Opioid Rapid Response Program. This program is funded to help support abandoned pain patients after a law enforcement action. Here is Part 1, in case you missed it.

We took clips from the following videos/podcasts for this podcast:

1. COSSUP - Jan 11, 2023

2. Senate Finance Committee - Oct 2019

3. National Opioid Summit 2020

4. APRO Award 2020

5. Cover 2 Resources Podcast


For the full list of all documents claiming ORRP exists and works, please go to our Patreon Page<...

Duration: 00:50:57
Dr. Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads -Do Opioids Hijack the Brain? Is Addiction a Broken Brain Disease? Episode 38
Nov 16, 2023

We interview Dr. Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads about addiction, Suboxone, pain patients, Harm Reduction, and more! You won't want to miss this episode.

Dr. Stanton Peele is a psychologist who has pioneered, among other things, the idea that addiction occurs with a range of experiences and recognition of natural recovery from addiction. He developed the Life Process Program for addiction. He has authored many books since the 1975 publication of Love and Addiction (co-authored by Archie Brodsky); his latest is A Scientific Life on the Edge: My Lonely Quest to Change How We See Addiction.

Zach...

Duration: 01:34:58
I Failed My Drug Test, But It Is Wrong! Tox Expert Ed Brown. Episode 37
Nov 02, 2023

We often hear from pain patients who were dismissed from their doctor for failing their drug test. They say there is no way the test is right. Ed Brown gives some possible explanations.

Edward Brown's Bio:

Edward G. Brown is a chemistry expert with over twenty-five years of laboratory research experience, over 5 years of patent work experience and over twenty years of experience assisting attorneys in chemistry cases as chemistry expert and expert witness.  His technical and academic background includes the following:

B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley; Duration: 01:07:52

A Day in the Life of an Abandoned Pain Patient - Kacey Part 2- Episode 36
Oct 25, 2023

If you missed part 1, please listen here. Kacey, a NC patient, recorded her appt with her doctor because he was dismissing her and she didn't know why. Listen to the recording of her appointment and then listen to Kacey explain how she felt when she was being treated this way.

This is part 2, which is a recording of her next appointment with a new pain doctor.

If you'd like to see the full video of this podcast - including before and after the show discussion, please go to ⁠patreon.com/thedoctorpatientforum⁠ The information in the podc...

Duration: 01:22:52
ORRP Part 1 - An Intro to Opioid Rapid Response Program- CPP Advocates Banned From Their Webinars - Episode 35
Oct 18, 2023

Episode 35


What is ORRP? Do they help patients find continuity of care when patients lose their doctors? Why did they ban CPP advocates from their webinar with Project Echo?

The following links were mentioned:

ORRP - Pre-request for proposal

ORRP information on CDC's website

Cover2Resources- ORRP ARPO podcast


Please consider subscribing to our Patreon Page - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/thedoctorpatientforum⁠

The Doctor Patient Forum is a national non profit organization fighting for the rights of pain patients and...

Duration: 00:37:10
A Day in the Life of an Abandoned Pain Patient - A Recording of an appointment- Kacey Part 1 - Episode 34
Oct 07, 2023

Kacey, a NC patient, recorded her appt with her doctor because he was dismissing her and she didn't know why. Listen to the recording of her appointment and then listen to Kacey explain how she felt when she was being treated this way.

Here is the video where we discussed ORRP/Project Echo and how they banned us from their webinar If you'd like to see the full video of this podcast - including before and after the show discussion, please go to patreon.com/thedoctorpatientforum The information in the podcast is not to be considered medical...

Duration: 01:05:16
Epidural Steroid Injections Are Not FDA Approved in the USA - Episode 33
Sep 27, 2023

Claudia and Bev interview Dennis James Capolongo. Dennis is a retired patient advocate and former director of the EDNC in Washington DC. His 25 year career as a photojournalist came to an abrupt end after having been misdiagnosed with a disc herniation for minor hip pain in 2001. Unfortunately this led to a calamity of errors resulting in two subdural epidural steroid injections using Pfizer's DepoMedrol, an off-label, unapproved application of particulate steroid suspensions. He suffered progressive irreparable harm to his brain, spinal cord and eyes. His efforts at the FDA resulted in new warnings & revisions for all injectable steroids worldwide...

Duration: 01:18:40
Painkiller Propaganda - Cameron English - Episode 32
Sep 13, 2023

Netflix released another nonsense series about the Sacklers called Painkiller. Cameron English, a journalist from ACSH, published an amazing article calling them out on their lies. Cameron breaks it down for us.


Cameron's links:

Twitter @camjenglish

Podcast: Science Facts & Fallacies

If you'd like to see the video of this episode including before and after the podcast discussion, please go to our Patreon page -

The Doctor Patient Forum Patreon : patreon.com/thedoctorpatientforum


Disclaimer: The information that has been provided to you...

Duration: 01:06:00
A Year in Review Part 2 - DPF Podcast Just Turned One - Part 2 - Episode 31
Aug 29, 2023

It's hard to believe it's been an entire year since we launched our podcast. In that year, we've had over 20,000 listens! We are so grateful to everyone who listens and supports us.


This is Part 2 of a look back at every episode.


The link to our Patreon page is ⁠patreon.com/thedoctorpatientforum⁠




Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is not to be considered medical or legal advice

Duration: 01:09:30
DPF Podcast Just Turned One! A Look Back on Every Episode - Part 1 - Episode 30
Aug 16, 2023

It's hard to believe it's been an entire year since we launched our podcast. In that year, we've had over 20,000 listens! We are so grateful to everyone who listens and supports us.

This is Part 1 of a look back at every episode.


The link to our Patreon page is patreon.com/thedoctorpatientforum




Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is not to be considered medical or legal advice

Duration: 00:52:01
Where do we go from here? The future of DPF - Episode 20
Aug 11, 2023

Listen to Claudia and Bev discuss how The Doctor Patient Forum began and where we go from here.

Some things DPF is working on:

Updated website Video podcasts Reaction videos to Dopesick


If DPF has ever helped you in any way, please consider donating. Even $1 per month helps! We need funding to take the next step in effecting change.

Duration: 00:19:08
Escaping Sickle Cell Hell - With Marissa Cors - Episode 29
Aug 08, 2023

Marissa Cors is a fierce Sickle Cell Disease advocate. She is a 5th generation SCD Warrior and her family has a non profit called Axis Advocacy.

We first heard about Marissa when one of her Tik Tok videos went viral about a SCD patient, Brittany. Brittany was horribly mistreated, and recorded her mistreatment. Brittany sadly lost her life to SCD. Marissa was her advocate. Marissa's Tik Tok channel is called ⁠Escaping Sickle Cell Hell⁠.

The clips from Brittany's ER experience can be heard in their entirety ⁠here⁠.

Marissa's Twitter account is here


<...

Duration: 00:54:12
Dr. Carl Hart and DPF- A Very Exciting Announcement!
Jul 30, 2023

Dr. Carl Hart was a guest on our podcast earlier this year. Here is the link to the episode, in case you missed it.

Dr. Hart contacted us last week with some very exciting news! He asked us to help him co-edit a medical journal. This is such a huge opportunity and we are grateful we will be able to bring attention to the suffering of CPP's.

Duration: 00:03:07
Dr. Jay K. Joshi - A Victim of the DEA -The Criminalization of Doctors - Episode 27
Jul 25, 2023

Dr. Jay Joshi recently released his book, Burden of Pain. Dr. Joshi is a Primary Care Physician and spent almost a year behind bars after an undercover DEA agent went to his office.

"Dr. Joshi writes regularly on his website, Daily Remedy (www.daily-remedy.com), a trusted source of editorialized healthcare content for both patients and healthcare policy experts. He has published articles on a variety of healthcare topics in both peer-reviewed journals and trade publications. His legal writings include amicus curiae briefs prepared for prominent federal healthcare cases like the Supreme Court case, Ruan v. United ...

Duration: 00:43:32
OPAL Study Explained and Debunked - Episode 26
Jul 07, 2023

Claudia and Bev explain the OPAL Study that just came out of Australia.

This link from our website contains all of the up-to-date information and all of the links we mention in this episode. We are planning on doing a follow-up podcast episode with Dr. Chad Kollas, from DPF Board.


Links to audio clips in this episode:

ABC Australia news clip

Clip about long-acting med - Launch of the Opioid Analgesic Stewardship in Acute Pain Clinical Care Standard

Second clip about long-acting med - A discussion...

Duration: 00:47:24
Pharmacist Matt - Drug Shortages - Episode 25
Jul 04, 2023


Claudia and Bev interview Pharmacist Matt from Tik Tok.

In case you missed our first episode with Matt, here is the link.

Claudia, Matt, and Bev address the drug shortages. Bev interviews a patient who has been affected by this and reads posts from The Doctor Patient Forum Facebook page.

Matt is a community pharmacist who works at a local independent pharmacy.

His goal with Tik Tok is to basically give a virtual consultation. A window to the world bringing pharmacy specific information to the world. Along with ⁠Ti...

Duration: 01:06:50
Pediatric Patients Made to Suffer - One Mom's Story - Beth Steckler - Episode 24
Jun 15, 2023

Claudia and Bev interview the amazing advocate, Beth Steckler. Her husband had a disease called PRSS1, and both of their children inherited it. Her daughter had a whipple procedure when she was just in first grade. Both of her children have been horribly abused in the health care system, which isn't uncommon in these days of opioid elimination.


Listen to Beth discuss the heartbreaking abuse her children continue to endure.

Beth's Twitter account - @purplemamabear

The name of the org that Beth helped to create - National Childhood...

Duration: 00:59:14
Dr. Josh Bloom - Part 2 - Tylenol for Severe Pain - Suicide Due to Pai - Episode 23
Jun 06, 2023


This is part 2 of our interview with Dr. Josh Bloom.

Here is part 1, in case you missed it.

In this podcast, we discuss Tylenol for post-op pain. Is it actually as good as opioids? We interview a pain patient who was offered Tylenol only for breast cancer surgery.

We also discuss suicide due to pain.

Links discussed in this episode

Debate with Dr. Singer and Dr. Fugh-Berman Article about this debate by Josh Bloom - A Surgeon And A Non-Practicing Anti-Opioid Zealot Walk Into A Bar: The...

Duration: 01:19:14
Dr. Josh Bloom Part 1- Gabapentin and fallout of the CDC Guidelines - Episode 22
May 08, 2023

Listen to part 1 of DPF's interview with Dr. Josh Bloom. Why are so many pain patients put on Gabapentin? Does it work? Why are so many being prescribed Gabapentin all of a sudden? What are some of the possible side effects? Listen to some patient stories about Gabapentin. Stay tuned for Part 2 with Josh Bloom. Josh Bloom's bio: "Director of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Dr. Josh Bloom earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Virginia, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania.He worked for more than two decades as a research chemist for...

Duration: 00:45:14
DPF will be launching a Patreon page soon!
May 02, 2023

We are very excited to announce that DPF will be launching a Patreon page very soon!


What does this mean for everything we have offered like our website, podcast, and social media pages?

Everything will stay the same! We will continue to publish our regular DPF podcasts, our FB groups will all remain the same, and we are working on an updated website as we speak. Patreon will be an addition to what DPF offers.


What will be on the DPF Patreon page?

Some of...

Duration: 00:05:22
Dr. Sarah discusses the updated CDC Guidelines- Episode 21
Apr 06, 2023

Claudia and Bev discuss the updated CDC Guidelines with Dr. Sarah from Maryland. They answer the following questions:

Is it an improvement? Are the 2022 Guidelines more or less restrictive? Will it help pain patients? Were limits from the 2016 Guidelines a misapplication or was it intentional? Did the CDC violate their own guidelines on how to create guidelines?


Links from discussion:

Telebriefing for updated CDC Guidelines Nov 9, 2022 CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain - Dr. David Tauben UW TelePain - March 23, 2016 Dr. Jane Ballantyne - TelePain - What the New CDC Guideline...

Duration: 01:10:50
Mini-podcast - How PDMP affects your prescriber and you - Episode 19
Mar 13, 2023

Why is my doctor afraid to prescribe?  

Bev discusses a recent webinar by BJA TTAC - COSSAP - Bureau of Justice Assistance's Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program Resource Center. Link to their website and webinars


The Doctor Patient Forum's Podcast Episodes on:

Red Flags/Drug-Seeking Behavior

PDMP/NarxCare - Part 1

PDMP/NarxCare - Part 2

PDMP/NarxCare - Part 3

PDMP/NarxCare - Part 4


Patient Abandonment and Forced Taper Questionnaire



Duration: 00:14:58
Freedom Model of Addiction - Episode 18
Mar 03, 2023

Mark Scheeren and his colleague, Michelle Dunbar, developed the Freedom Model of Addiction. Listen as Claudia and Bev discuss this, agreeing on some things and disagreeing on others. It's always interesting to listen to different points of view. Both Mark and Michelle have struggled with addiction. 

Is addiction a brain disease? Can someone recover? Is medication always needed to stop using substances? Do people with addiction have to stop using all substances for the rest of their lives? Is the hijacked brain idea true? Who created it and why?

The Freedom Model research - The Baldwin Research I...

Duration: 01:07:03
Dr Jeffrey Singer - A Surgeon's view on untreated/undertreated pain and Cops Practicing Medicine - Episode 17
Feb 02, 2023

"Jeffrey A. Singer is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and works in the Department of Health Policy Studies. He is President Emeritus and founder of Valley Surgical Clinics Ltd., the largest and oldest group private surgical practice in Arizona and has been in private practice as a general surgeon for more than 35 years.

He is also a visiting fellow at the Goldwater Institute in Phoenix. Singer is a member of the Board of Scientific Advisors of the American Council on Science and Health. From 1994 to 2016, he was a regular contributor to Arizona Medicine, the journal of the...

Duration: 01:07:24
Suicide due to pain and DEA action against a doctor. Jim Elliot discusses Danny and Gretchen- Episode 16
Jan 05, 2023

On November 7, 2022 chronic pain patient, Danny Elliot and his wife Gretchen, tragically took their lives after the DEA shut down Danny's doctor. Listen to our podcast from November 13, 2022 discussing Danny and Gretchen's suicides.

We interview Danny's brother, Jim Elliot. Jim talks about Danny's life, his accident that caused his severe intractable pain, and what Danny was like when he had adequate pain medication compared to when he didn't.

Here are Danny and Gretchen's obituaries.

Jim's comment to us and the chronic pain community: "I'd like to add  how appreciative our family is of t...

Duration: 00:43:39
Dr. Carl Hart's opinion on the untreated pain crisis. Where do we go from here? - Episode 15
Dec 09, 2022

Claudia and Bev interview Dr. Carl Hart. We discuss how pain patients are being harmed by horrible drug policy. Dr. Hart discusses his view of anti-opioid zealots like Dr. Andrew Kolodny and offers to use his platform to help us fight for pain patients.

 I took this bio from his website, drcarlhart.com

"Carl Hart is the Chair of the Department of Psychology at Columbia University. He is also the Ziff Professor of Psychology in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry. Professor Hart has published numerous scientific and popular articles in the area of neuropsychopharmacology an...

Duration: 01:03:08
Danny and Gretchen Elliot's Double Suicide - Due to DEA shutting down a doctor's office - Leaving Abandoned Patients - Episode 14
Nov 13, 2022

Danny Elliot was a chronic pain patient who has been vocal on Twitter about what it was like for him after he lost his doctor because of actions of the DEA.

Danny lost his doctor a few weeks ago for the third time due to the DEA. Where was the CDC's Opioid Rapid Response Program?

The following article in Pain News Network gives a bit more detail.

DEA Suspension of Doctor's License Leads to Double Suicide


Please go to the following sources to hear/read them in their e...

Duration: 00:55:32
Part 4 - PDMP/NarxCare - Jacob James Rich - PDMP and Law Enforcement - Episode 13
Nov 01, 2022

This is part 4 in our NarxCare/PDMP series. We interview Jacob James Rich. This episode focuses on PDMP harms, law enforcement's access to the PDMP, and whether HIPAA protects patients from PDMP data being shared.

Jacob James Rich is a researcher. Jacob works as an analyst for Reason Foundation, focusing on healthcare policy. He has written extensively on drug policy topics, such as the consequences of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) on patient access and overdose mortality. Jacob is currently researching racial disparities in drug enforcement with CWRU Graduate Student Council's DEI Award.

Brief: https://reas...

Duration: 01:12:53
Part 3 - PDMP/NarxCare with Atty. Jennifer D. Oliva - Episode 12
Oct 25, 2022

Claudia and Bev discuss PDMP's (Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs) and NarxCare with Atty. Jennifer Oliva. 

"Professor Oliva’s research and teaching interests include health law and policy, privacy law, evidence, torts, and complex litigation. She has served as an invited peer reviewer for the American Journal of Public Health, Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law, and Ethics, American Journal of Law & Medicine, Journal of Law and the Biosciences, and Big Data & Society and her scholarship has been published by or is forthcoming in, among other publications, the California Law Review, Duke Law Journal, Northwestern University Law Review, UCLA La...

Duration: 01:23:13
Part 3 - Tips from a pharmacist with Pharmacist Matt-Episode 11
Oct 11, 2022

Claudia and Bev interview Pharmacist Matt from Tik Tok 

Matt is a community pharmacist who works at a local independent pharmacy.

 His goal with Tik Tok is to basically give a virtual consultation. A window to the world bringing pharmacy specific information to the world. Along with Tik Tok you, can also tune in to his podcast - the two druggists. It is an entertaining and insightful program with drug information and stories. You can also find Pharmacist Matt on Instagram.

Walgreens good faith prescribing checklist

Information about Walgreen's good faith pr...

Duration: 00:40:36
We need your help with this survey! Interview with Dr. Jay Joshi - Episode 10
Oct 09, 2022

Bev interviews Dr. Jay Joshi (from Daily Remedy) about an extremely important survey and we need your help! The opioid epidemic has incurred significant clinical and economic toll on the United States. The human impact of the epidemic has adversely affected communities and many employers. We see the impact on the data. Opioid overdoses continue to rise and more potent forms of illicit heroin and fentanyl flood the streets. The trends affect all aspects of healthcare, including the patient-physician encounter, a microcosm of the social ramifications of the epidemic. But data alone does not capture the perceptions that arise between...

Duration: 00:14:56
Part 2 - PDMP/NarxCare - NarxCare used to deny medical care - Episode 9
Oct 04, 2022

This is part 2 of our NarxCare podcast series.  

Part 1

We play portions of the radio show 1A of NPR that Maia Szalavitz and Bev Schechtman were on. 

They covered the article Maia wrote in Wired about NarxCare called "The Pain Was Unbearable. So Why Did Doctors Turn Her Away?"

Full recording of the radio show 1A

Watch Dr. Ibsen do a running commentary on the radio show as it happened 

Link to NarxCare information on our website. 

Contact us at: bev@thedoctorpatientforum.com claudia@thedoctorpatientforum.com <...

Duration: 00:49:05
Part 1 - PDMP/NarxCare - What’s my NarxCare score and what does it mean? Episode 8
Sep 27, 2022

In this episode Claudia Merandi and Bev Schechtman interview Dr. Neil.

 He has put a tremendous amount of work into researching and analyzing NarxCare.  Part 1 of NarxCare includes an introduction to NarxCare and an interview with Dr. Neil. 

 Part 2 will come out next week and will have interviews with three women affected by NarxCare, and also portions of a talk show Bev and Maia Szalavitz were on called 1A with NPR. 

 The following information can be found on our website under FAQ's/What is NarxCare.  

Please check out that link for more li...

Duration: 00:40:34
Part 2 - Tips for your pain dr. appt. from a provider’s point of view - Episode 7
Sep 19, 2022

Claudia and Bev speak with a pain provider, Kelly. Kelly gives tips for interacting with your pain provider. What to do. What not to do.  UDT's are discussed. Spinal Cord Stimulators. ESI's. 

Kelly is a nurse practitioner.

Links from the episode:

Opioid Induced Hyperalgesia - from our debunking lies section 

Disclaimer: The information in this episode is not to be considered medical or legal advice

Duration: 00:42:36
Part 1 - Tips for preparing for an appt. with a new pain doctor - Episode 6
Sep 13, 2022

So many chronic pain patients are left without a provider for a variety of reasons. A doctor retires, a patient moves, a doctor is investigated, etc. If a patient is fortunate enough to find a new provider, it's difficult to know what to say or what not to say during the initial appointment. This is one of the most common questions we get from CPP's. We give you tips on how to prepare, what to say, what not to say, what the doctor may consider red flags, and more.  

 Topics we discussed in this episode: 

 Elect...

Duration: 00:50:05
Suicide due to untreated pain. CaSonya Richardson-Slone bravely speaks about her husband, Brent - Episode 5
Sep 05, 2022

Brent Slone had been in a horrific car accident where he became paralyzed. He was receiving pain management. In 2017, his clinic cut his pain medicine by more than half at one time. Although both Brent and Sonya did everything they could to fix the situation, they repeatedly were met with no help. Sonya knew Brent was waiting to hear from his pharmacy about a new prescription. Sadly, when she left work and looked at her phone, she saw this text from Brent - "they denied script im done love you."  He died by suicide. Sonya successfully sued the doctors a...

Duration: 00:57:24
Predators in the pain community - how to protect yourself - Episode 4
Sep 01, 2022

Many are well aware of "drama" in the pain community. What we are addressing isn't drama. It is predators preying on vulnerable people. If you think you have been a victim of the same individuals or organizations we have, please contact your local authorities.

Duration: 00:07:53
Interview with attorney Ron Chapman about the targeting of doctors by the DEA - Episode 3
Aug 30, 2022

Listen to Ron Chapman discuss how prescribers and pharmacists are being targeted by the DEA. He explains how they do it and what a doctor should do if the DEA shows up at their office. He talks about whether or not CPP's can sue the DEA or the CDC. He discusses what the pain community can do to fight back. He explains the RUAN SCOTUS ruling and what it means for prescribers and patients. Also, he touches on whether or not a patient can sue a doctor. Ron has successfully defended many doctors including a recent case, which he...

Duration: 00:50:01
"Drug-seeking behavior." What is it? What isn't it? What to do if it's in your medical records? Episode 2
Aug 23, 2022

We've all heard of the term "drug-seeking behavior." But, what is it really? What are the red flags doctors and pharmacists look for and where did these red flags come from? Is the term "drug-seeking behavior" even a helpful term? We break it down for you and explain how to find out if this term is in your medical records, and what to do if you find it there. Please check out our website thedoctorpatientforum.com

Links for information we mentioned in this episode:  DEA "Don't Be Scammed by a Drug Abuser    Bev's story of the horrible hospi...

Duration: 00:50:27
Who are we and how did we become advocates? What will we discuss on our podcast? Episode 1
Aug 14, 2022

Listen to how Claudia got the idea to start Don't Punish Pain Rally on Facebook. Claudia and Bev discuss the war on pain patients and prescribers. They discuss an overview of what the podcast will be about. They mention a wide variety of topics that will be covered. The information they discuss can also be found on their website thedoctorpatientforum.com.  

Links to topics covered during this introduction episode: The Opioid Rapid Response Program (ORRP), Legislative Efforts, 2016 CDC Guidelines and those who expressed concern, Ruan SCOTUS ruling, Harm Reduction, Table of accurate statistics, Debunking Lies, PROP

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Duration: 00:37:08
The Doctor Patient Forum (Trailer)
Aug 13, 2022

Duration: 00:00:25