Medical doctors have been partially blamed for the opioid epidemic. But doctors can err on both sides of the continuum. They can be too quick to prescribe opioids and/or they can be too quick to terminate their professional relationship once they discover an addiction. What's the best response from a doctor when they learn that their patient is abusing their opioids? Listen in to an opiate support group talk about their experiences.

Discussion Guide:

Have you experienced unfair treatment from a medical doctor regarding the prescription of pain killers?

Have you received excessive amounts of a prescribed opiate from a doctor who was too easily manipulated?

Have you been harshly and abruptly cut off by a doctor?

What are the factors that influence whether you will receive a pain killer, if needed?

What are the factors involved in whether you will be terminated as a patient?

How do you believe a doctor should approach someone who they discover is abusing opiates?

Supplemental Reading:

Lembke, Anna, The Compassionate Doctor, the Narcissistic Injury, and the Prescription Opioid Epidemic, http://www.thefix.com/compassionate-doctor-narcissistic-injury-and-prescription-opioid-epidemic