From lawsuits by several states against the manufacturers of opioids to criminal prosecutions against pharmaceutical executives, much has been made about pain medications and their misuse. In many cases, these are necessary actions to address predatory practices that have hurt patients. Unfortunately, if you just pay attention to these headlines, you’re likely to miss an important fact: Pain medications are an important and medically necessary part of many patients’ treatment. Hard to believe, but there was a time when pain was ignored by the medical profession — and when patients who needed pain treatments never received them. We are teetering dangerously close to returning to that time. Regulators, health plans, pharmacies, and physician groups must make conscious efforts to strike a better balance between the dual objectives of treating pain and preventing abuse. (Disclosure: I own a few hundred shares of pharmaceutical companies, including those of Johnson & Johnson, a manufacturer of opioids. I also own shares of United Healthcare, an insurer.)
Preventing Opioid Abuse Shouldn’t Mean Ignoring Patients’ Pain
From lawsuits by several states against the manufacturers of opioids to criminal prosecutions against pharmaceutical executives, much has been made about pain medications and their misuse. In many cases, these are necessary actions to address predatory practices that have hurt patients. Unfortunately, if you just pay attention to these headlines, you’re likely to miss an important fact: Pain medications are an important and medically necessary part of many patients’ treatment. Hard to believe, but there was a time when pain was ignored by the medical profession — and when patients who needed pain treatments never received them. We are teetering dangerously close to returning to that time. Regulators, health plans, pharmacies, and physician groups must make conscious efforts to strike a better balance between the dual objectives of treating pain and preventing abuse.