Synthetic opioid medications changed the world of modern medicine when they became widely available. Previously, there were frequent shortages of traditional opiate medications based on factors including production limitations and international conflict.
The ability to produce synthetic medications that are multiple times stronger than naturally-derived opiate drugs made pain relief far more accessible. Unfortunately, ease of access combined with increased strength makes opioid medication relatively dangerous. Fentanyl, for example, is roughly 100 times stronger than morphine.
While patients may need aggressive pain relief, the doctors providing them with prescriptions for opioids need to be conservative in their prescribing practices. Overprescribing can lead to poor outcomes for patients and may constitute actionable malpractice in some cases.
How should doctors limit opioid prescriptions?
Opioids often cause overdoses and addiction. The exact proportion of patients who develop substance abuse issues after a prescription varies. Research indicates that anywhere from 3% to 19% of those prescribed these powerful drugs may become addicted.
There are three important limitations that doctors should observe when prescribing opioids to prevent overdose deaths and dependence. First and foremost, they should prescribe the lowest effective dose given the needs of the patient and their personal characteristics, including their age, sex and weight.
Additionally, prescribing physicians should make an effort to limit the overall number of doses prescribed. Prescribing someone with a temporary injury enough medication for 30 days could be excessive.
Finally, limiting refills or requiring another appointment before the patient can refill the medication is another important practice. Doctors can check in on the patient’s condition and possibly begin tapering them off of the opioid medication. Tapering is crucial to the prevention of withdrawal symptoms when patients cease using opioid medications.
Doctors may prioritize convenience and expediency over the long-term safety of their patients in some cases. Despite the strict regulations that apply to opioid medications, doctors might be too generous when prescribing them. In scenarios where doctors prescribe too much medication and do not oversee the patient properly, their choices could lead to substance abuse disorders and other negative outcomes.
Connecting a patient’s addiction or overdose to a doctor’s conduct could help people pursue justice. Medication errors that involve deviating from best practices can do more harm than good for those in need of medical assistance.