Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was the “opioid epidemic.” From 1999 to 2019, nearly 500,000 people died from an overdose involving any opioid, including prescription and illicit opioids. Large pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors have been responsible for hooking millions of Americans on opioids, categorizing them as prescription painkillers. The opioid epidemic’s wide ranging effects were felt all over the country. Manufacturers grossly misled both doctors and patients concerning the addictiveness of their painkillers, by selling them that the painkillers were no less addictive than other opioid-based painkillers. Small rural communities were getting massive shipments of opioid prescriptions that were being diverted to pill mills, and the number of opioid-related deaths has tripled over the past five years. Meanwhile, opioids were funneled to the black market with manufacturers’ and distributors knowledge. While the matter was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers were staggering even before then.
Four pharmaceutical companies – but not Purdue Pharma – have agreed in principle to pay $26 billion for the resolution of opioid lawsuits and claims by states, cities, counties, and tribal governments. The settlement would be paid to state governments across the country to help treat and raise awareness concerning opioid addiction. States have lost billions helping patients in recovery, many of whom were only hooked once they began taking prescriptions from their doctors.
Today, pain management doctors are under much more scrutiny and face serious charges if they prescribe the medication without a good medical reason. Physicians bear responsibility for careful and conscientious prescribing, which includes patient assessment, communication, and education. Physicians can face serious repercussions for inappropriate prescribing, including malpractice liability, medical board discipline, and criminal convictions. Finally, patients with a history of opioid use often get prematurely labeled as drug seeking, and the stigma carries with them in the eyes of many jurors in trial.
