Keep Mayfield in Frankfort
Dear editor,
Anyone who is reading this letter may have noticed a big change in their doctor’s office and style of medical practice this past year. Many patients who were receiving controlled substances in a deliberate, appropriate and controlled fashion are suddenly no longer able to receive those medications. This is due to House Bill 1, which was passed in the Kentucky state legislature in April and placed into effect on July 20.
This law, aside from legislating aspects of health care in Kentucky, ordered the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure — a group of physicians politically appointed by the governor — to impose new regulations on the writing of all controlled substances in Kentucky. There are now 114 regulations which your doctor must abide by in order for him or her to write any controlled substances. Examples of these medications are those for ADHD in children, pain for the elderly after surgery and for acute injuries, anxiety for those suffering from dementia and other disabilities.
When this bill was being heard in committee, not a single physician was asked to testify as to how this law would impact patient care in Kentucky. Most representatives, desperate to look like they were “doing something about the drug problem,” did not bother to ask the doctors in their home districts about their opinions on this law and just voted yes on a very poorly written law that hurts children, the elderly and the disabled in our commonwealth.
To her credit, Donna Mayfield was a representative who was not concerned about how she was going to look. She realized that this could be a very bad bill that would hurt very good people in her community.
Before making up her mind, she got on the phone and spoke to doctors in her constituency to ask their opinions about this proposed law. I was one of those doctors. We urged he to vote no and explained that this would hurt innocent people and would truly do nothing to fight the drug problem in Kentucky.
Rep. Mayfield exemplified leadership and bravery by standing up to protect the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship despite pressure from other politicians who lacked the vision she had. I commend Mayfield for doing the right thing rather than what was politically expedient.
I would like to urge all voters in the 73rd district to re-elect Donna Mayfield for state representative.
Dr. Ralph Alvarado
Winchester
Seeking good Samaritan
Dear editor,
While shopping at Walmart on Monday, Oct. 8, I lost my purse. I didn’t miss it until later that afternoon.
I did not expect to find it, but was thankful to the honest young girl who found it and returned it to the store.
I’d like to have her call me please at 745-7797 or 595-2366 so I can thank her.
Please call!
Mary Jo Perkins
Winchester
