There are millions of people in the United States who are living with Chronic Pain every day of their lives. These people need medications just to be able to function as a normal person, and in most cases, to still be able to work to provide for their families. Now because of laws like the STOP ACT, dosage limiting regulations, and other CDC guidelines, these people are being turned away by their doctors, and basically told to suffer. There has been a huge miscarriage of justice when the government has been allowed to step in, and dictate what medications a patient can, or cannot be prescribed. Lawmakers call it an "opioid epidemic", and want to wage a war on opioids, but what they really need to wage the war on is Heroin/Fentanyl. The only reason the government is regulating prescription drugs is because they can't regulate Heroin. There is no database for Heroin dealers, or addicts. There is no way to track them, so they track the people who are taking their medications responsibly. Chronic Pain sufferers are catching the flak for all the users, and abusers because what they do is legal, and out in the open. Anyone would be very hard pressed to find one person who has overdosed on a prescription opioid who has taken their medications as directed. Not everyone is an addict. What about all of the innocent people this is affecting? My husband has Degenerative Disc Disease, Facets Disease, Sensory Lumbar Plexus Disorder, Nerve Damage (Marked and Severe) in his back, and down both legs. He was told that it won't be long until he will have to pick up his legs to walk, and that he may lose control of his bowels. My husband has been on a high dosage of Oxycodone, and OxyContin for over 10 years, with no problems. He has tried many other alternatives (other meds, injections, an internal spinal stimulator, etc), but has found the most relief with his current regimen. He has to provide a urine sample at every visit, has never been off on his pill counts, and has even been told on several occasions by doctors, and staff, that he is a model patient. So, I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that he cannot find a doctor to write him his prescriptions. His doctor of many years told him they were no longer writing one of his meds (as a practice) because the street value was too high! What?! My husband was also told by another doctor that anything written over the 90 Morphine Equivalency Dosage guideline will result in the doctor being audited by the DEA, and that the DEA will look for any reason to take that doctor's license. From everything I have read about this STOP Act, it is not supposed to affect certain groups of people, including people suffering from chronic pain. It is only supposed to apply to initial prescriptions for acute pain, but that is certainly not what is happening. My husband was on 430 mg of Oxycodone/OxyContin which calculates to 645 MED. The government wants everyone under 90 MED. This will not allow for my husband to have any quality of life. I can stand behind all the other safety measures that have been put into place to make sure these medications aren't being abused. I don't mind the PDMP monitoring, the drug tests, the pill counts. I don't even mind all of the side glances from doctors, and pharmacists, looking at him like he is an addict. What does bother me is knowing how much pain my husband is in, knowing that he has done everything right, and that he still can't get what he needs to be a husband, father, and a functioning citizen of this great country. When is it going to be enough? Please help this cause by signing the petition. Lawmakers need to understand they are doing more harm than good. As long as a patient is doing what he/she is supposed to be doing, there should be no reason for the government to interfere. Doctors should be able to treat their patients, whom they have a relationship with, how they deem fit without having to worry about losing their medical licenses. Lawmakers need to stick with what they know - THE LAW, and let the medical professionals do their job. Doctors have gone to school for many, many years for this very reason. It is ridiculous for members of the government to think they know more than doctors do. I started this petition to help bring awareness to all 50 states. This petition is calling on the state of North Carolina, my home state, to amend the STOP Act. No matter where you live, your support matters. More, and more states are adopting similar laws, regulations, and guidelines making it that much harder for people with legitimate medical issues to get the pain relief they need just to live their lives. The more signatures we acquire, the more likely we will get a response, and hopefully other states will follow. We hope it will inspire Congress to come up with a different approach to the "Opioid Epidemic" without hurting so many innocent people in the process.