Everyone is affected by the opioid crisis. For many of us, the crisis has been personal. Illicit drugs, prescription drugs and mental health have all played their part. Some argue that the crisis started with an effort to treat pain, codified in hospital protocols.[i] Others said that drug companies played down the addictive effects of opioid prescriptions and incentivized prescribing them.[ii] In response, the medical community has tried to help. There is now renewed focus on mental health and substance abuse treatment.[iii] Unfortunately, there has been a history of naiveté amongst many physicians, especially two decades ago when prescribing opioid long term for chronic pain was much more common. However, at least one physicians group sounded the alarm very early on, and dedicates much of its time towards advocating for opioid prescription accountability.
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AuthorAngelie Singh, MD, MPH, MS Archives
March 2020
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