The number of opioid addicts in this country has skyrocketed in the last few years.
Everyone wants to know what’s going on — who or what is the blame for this crises?
Unfortunately, doctors have been prescribing more to their patients and many are allowing people to abuse them.
But also, sometimes the risk of addiction is not communicated clearly by the pharmaceutical companies that make the drugs, causing patients to unknowingly become addicted.
It leaves you to wonder who’s at fault when addiction happens.
Healthcare Providers
For the most part, we trust that our doctors have our best interests at heart.
So when someone finds themselves addicted to a drug prescribed by their doctor, they may not automatically feel the doctor is at fault.
Now, if you told your doctor that you’re a recovering addict and they still prescribe opioids for you, the doctor will likely be found negligent.
And then there’s the issue of doctors over-prescribing. Some doctors are ignoring the guidelines put in place to protect patients. They continue to prescribe the drug for months, even years past the recommended time, often because of a financial incentive…
Clearly, there are times when the doctor is at fault for addiction.
Pharmaceutical Companies
And then there are the pharmaceutical companies.
Quite a few states have filed suit against opioid manufacturers for the role they’ve played in this growing epidemic.
These states allege that pharmaceutical companies are putting a lot of their marketing dollars towards campaigns that downplay the risks of opioids while playing up the benefits of using them for pain.
They’ve also been accused of encouraging doctors to speak highly of the benefits of these drugs.
And, of course, the pharmaceutical companies don’t feel they should be held responsible for a person’s misuse of the drug, or for doctors who may over-prescribe it.
So in any given scenario, fault can be placed on the addicts, the doctors or the pharmaceutical companies. Whoever’s at fault, here’s hoping that we’re able to get a hold of this epidemic on all three fronts.