New Rules Called A 'Step Backward' Three medical associations representing pain specialists have sent the Drug Enforcement Administration an unusual joint letter sharply critical of its recently revised guidelines on prescribing pain medicines. The letter, signed by the presidents of all three groups, called a DEA policy statement published in November in the Federal Register "an unfortunate step backward" that encourages a return to "an adversarial relationship between [doctors] and the DEA." Already concerned about what they saw as sometimes over-aggressive prosecutions of doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals who prescribe narcotic painkillers such as OxyContin, the specialists said the...