THE D.E.A. AND DOCTORS

To the Editor:

John Tierney (column, July 23) suggests that the Drug Enforcement
Administration has a "new strategy" that takes aim at legitimate
physicians. This is not the case.

Our fight against drugs has produced important results. Youth drug use has
dropped by 17 percent over three years. The D.E.A. has increased its fight
against the diversion of legal drugs to combat growing prescription drug
abuse, evidenced by the fact that almost one out of every 10 high school
seniors has abused prescription drugs.

Doctors are a small part of the problem, with the D.E.A. investigating less
than 0.1 percent of doctors last year and prosecuting only 12 of the more
than 600,000 registered doctors.

The doctors we investigate and prosecute commit criminal acts like writing
fraudulent prescriptions to support their own substance abuse, exchanging
prescriptions for sexual favors or monetary kickbacks, or gross
overprescribing that results in grave harm to patients.

Mr. Tierney doesn't mention those doctors, whom the D.E.A. must prevent
from doing harm. It is incorrect to suggest the D.E.A.'s motives involve
anything other than its responsibility to protect the public.

Karen P. Tandy

Administrator

Drug Enforcement Administration

Arlington, Va.