Some Doctors have a valid point about prescribing opiods

I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal earlier tonight about a Doctor who seemed sincere in his efforts to strike a balance between prescribing powerful drug medications that so many people desperately need to live in order to have a decent life. For Doctors like this one I can understand how frustrating it can be for the one's who want to sincerely help people like myself and at the same time not jepordize their careers. He is right in saying there is a balance that people like him have to take when prescribing opiods.

As an example he talked about a patient that called his office multiple times on a weekend and even resorting to calling his home and then trying to circumvent him to get the Doctor on call that weekend. This is an example of a patient who may or may not be faking their problems just to get access to highly addictive drugs. The thing that I really admired about this Dr. is he stated; this particular patient would have to seek treatment with an addiction medicine specialist before he would try to help them anymore. He also had several things to say about the pain management specialists who only want to do expensive steriod shots and physical thearpy, then send the patients back to primary care Doctors like him once they had used up all of the patients insurance that they would pay. These Doctors have a legitiate right to be angry. I have heard this story more than once from primary care Doctors. I understand their frusteration.

The thing that I admired most about this Doctor was that he wasn't giving up on his patients that he knew desperately needed these pain medications or opiods to even exist. In cases like this PATIENTS have a responsibility to not use their Doctor and appreciate the fact that he is trying to help them.

I have been going to the same Doctor for 15 years. I do not miss an appointment. I have been taking the same amount of medication for the past 5 years. I have not ask for increases in my medication. I have never lost a prescription and I corporate with him in any way that he asks. That is , I feel, my duty to him and it is the duty of everyone in chronic pain. DO NOT ABUSE YOUR DOCTORS TRUST!!!