Opioid crisis: The difference between sympathy and empathy

Follow me at @Drmoniquetello I was on call. I looked down at my pager and saw that dreaded message: Patient running out of pain meds needs immediate refill please call.* Ugh. More often than not, the phone call that follows this page is full of excuses, explanations, promises, and demands. This one was no exception: So sorry to bother you, I know you’re only covering. My doctor prescribes me oxycodone for my back pain. It’s horrible pain that I live with. I’m on disability for this. But my niece was visiting last weekend, and I lifted her up. I shouldn’t have done that, I know! I wrenched my back bad, and I’ve had to double up on my pills, so I’m going to run out a week early. I’m going to need more pills than usual, since I threw my back out. It REALLY hurts. If I could get twice the normal number that would be great. I swear I don’t even like to take this stuff unless I really have to! I hate taking pills! My doctor knows I don’t abuse this stuff. The whole time, my stomach was twisting, my gut instinct practically screaming FRAUD LIES SCAM RUN AWAY, but there I was, on the other end of the phone — and on the hook to deal with this. In the past few years, laws and guidelines around prescribing opioid pain relievers have changed, and for the better. My own hospital issued requirements and guidelines around opioid prescribing for physicians in January 2014. Since then, for any calls like this one, I now need to check the patient’s record for the ...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Addiction Behavioral Health Caregiving Healthy Aging Pain Management Source Type: news