The opioid crackdown is harming chronic pain patients
I once cared for a patient I’ll call Maria, a middle-aged professional with severe spinal disease and years of stable function on a carefully monitored opioid regimen. She’d never lost a prescription, never shown signs of misuse, and passed every urine drug screen. Then her clinic was acquired by a large health system, and new policies arrived with a single message: cut opioid doses or risk scrutiny. Within months, Maria’s …
The opioid crackdown is harming chronic pain patients
