The Shrinking Pool Of Pain Physicians And The Rising Number Of Suicides: A Possible Link (2000 To 2014)*

§  # People in need of pain treatment: 110 million

§  # Physicians: 1.1 million

§  # Physicians with DEA license: 980,000

§  2000 # Physicians treating pain: 6000

§  2014 # Physicians treating pain: 6000

§  # Physicians under investigation every year: 600

§  % Pain physicians under investigation 12%

§  2000- 2014 # Pain physicians delicensed: 8400

§  2000 Suicide rate 10.2per 100.000

§  2014 Suicide rate of 12.9 per 100.000

 

References:

1.Institute of medicine report, June 2012.

2. Libby R, Treating doctors as drug dealers ,Policy Analysis June 16, 2005.

3. Libby R, The criminalization of medicine, Krieger publication, 2002.

*DEA does not provide  specific data of the annual and total number of physicians investigated or prosecuted. The above numbers are the best educated estimates based upon available information from diverse sources.