In the treatment of pain, OPIOID helps caregivers weather the regulatory storm

What follows is a guest post. James Patrick Murphy, MD, MMM is board-certified in Pain, Addiction, and Anesthesiology. He is President of The Greater Louisville Medical Society and the Course Director for OPIOID — Optimal Prescribing Is Our Inherent Duty. Dr Murphy, a friend, writes on the matter of optimal prescribing of pain therapy. It’s a timely and important topic. As a bike racer, I have experienced the anguish of pain. From a patient perspective, the problem with pain is not just that it hurts, but also, that it’s hard to see the end of suffering. Thankfully, I have been lucky to have had compassionate caregivers, all of whom prescribed pain therapies that worked without causing adverse effects. From the perspective of a caregiver, the treatment of pain is vexing. On the one hand is a fellow human in need of compassion. Caregivers are called to care. But as it is in many diseases, treatments for pain are far from perfect. Each comes with the potential for adverse effects. I’ve written extensively about the dangers of NSAIDs. Propublica has exposed the under-recognized  dangers of acetaminophen. And we all now about opioids. My state of Kentucky has been an epicenter of opioid-related issues, including unintended consequences of well-meaning regulations. Enough of me. Here’s Dr Murphy: OPIOID Helps Caregivers Weather the Regulatory Storm Healthcare is engulfed in a torrent of regulations raining down upon caregivers. Nowhere is this ...
Source: Dr John M - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: blogs