complicated and this topic is no different. There is also much more nuance than either of us described in our original posts. One of the biggest problems in medicine is providers do not want or have the time to educate people on medications and the appropriateness of prescribing them. Among the best examples are the inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics and the current debate about hydroxychloroquine. I can also relate that many providers (or at least they used too before state medical licensing boards and other government oversight entities started applying pressure) would had out 30 pills of this or that short acting opiate for a variety of ailments that may have accompanying pain for everything from a tooth ache to a fractured bone. I have witnessed than for over 20 years until the last few years. The reasons for this range from being empathetic to convenience & expediency. One of the biggest complaints (if not the biggest) of our ED where I currently work are related to patients vocalizing either not getting enough opiates or any opiates at all. When reviewed most of not all of these cases are stool from a male cow. Another case example is 6 years ago I hand surgery for a boxer’s fracture where my metacarpal was pinned. Before I was even in recovery the surgeon had called in a prescription for me to received dilaudid, Percocet, ibuprofen and zofran. He never consulted with me or my wife, but rather prescribed these medications pavlonianly without any thought. This has been a common practice for many surgeons for years until just recently. There is no doubt that there is individual
culpability as well. As to the other issues of whether or not the pharmaceutical companies bare any responsibility that is something for our legislatures and courts to adjudicate.
[Post edited by kennedyvt at 05/20/2020 10:08AM]