Dear Lyme Patient,
As you may know, Minnesota doctors may currently treat Lyme disease with long-term antibiotics, without fearing that such treatment would trigger an investigation by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice (MBMP). On March 13, 2010, the MBMP adopted a resolution stipulating that the science regarding the diagnosis and treatment of chronic Lyme is unsettled. The resolution included a 5-year moratorium on MBMP investigations of physicians that are based solely on the prescription of long-term antibiotics. The moratorium was a compromise agreement between the MBMP and the state legislators who authored legislation to prohibit the MBMP from targeting Lyme physicians.
We are almost 2 years into the moratorium and its impact will certainly be reviewed by MBMP shortly before the 5 year period ends. At that time, we must be able to demonstrate that long-term antibiotic therapy was beneficial for Lyme patients and the benefits most patients had outweighed the harmful side-effects experienced by a few. This means we need to compile evidence documenting the improvements people made while on long-term antibiotics; MLA medical advisor, Dr. Elizabeth Maloney is spearheading this project.
Dr. Maloney’s goal is to present the MBMP with a single report containing the outcomes from individual patients, as documented in their medical charts. Physicians call this a collection of case reports and it is recognized as scientific evidence. Validating the efficacy of long-term treatment to the MBMP and the state legislature will make the case for continuing the moratorium, to the benefit of current and future Lyme disease patients.
If you currently have or had Lyme disease and were treated with antibiotics for more than 30 days, and you lived in Minnesota during a portion of your treatment, WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Send an email to Lyme@MNLyme.com with Lyme Report in the subject line. Let us know you are willing to provide your medical records to Dr. Maloney, and give us your name, email and mailing address. All personal information will be kept confidential.
During your next clinic visit, request that the physician who treated/is treating you for Lyme disease send a copy of your Lyme-related records to
Dr. Elizabeth Maloney -PHH
PO Box 84, Wyoming MN 55092
Print this list and explanation of the project to give to your physician.
Although the moratorium expires in a little over 3 years, it is very important that Dr. Maloney begins to compile this information NOW! This is a time-consuming project and cannot be done at the last minute.
Thanks! Your help might mean Lyme patients can finally get the treatment they need!
