The Pros And Cons Of Opioid Overdoses

"In 2021, 107,622 lives were lost in the United States due to a drug overdose. This is an average of nearly 295 people per day. Of this total, approximately 66% of overdose deaths were attributable to opioids"(2022). Many of these deaths were caused by being prescribed the drug in an unprofessional manner, then leading to the patients abusing the drug. However, the doctors and pharmaceutical companies who prescribe the drug may not be able to keep track of whose hands the drug gets into. While this may seem like a small issue that can be fixed, it's a much bigger and more complicated situation. Some believe that doctors or pharmaceutical companies should not be held accountable for opioid overdoses because patients should not be taking addictive

Opponents support the idea that patients should not be taking addictive medication because they believe patients have a choice when it comes to taking a painkiller. According to Dwyer, “Your Guide To The Massive (And Massively Complex) Opioid Litigation” states, “Historically, opioid medications in the U.S. were prescribed in cases of extreme need or for patients suffering a terminal illness. But in the late 1990s, the pharmaceutical industry began aggressively pushing the drugs for use in a much wider range of applications.” This proves patients don’t have full control over what they take and aren’t fully aware how addictive the medicine can get. Some believe the patients should be following the dosing directions that are given. However, most doctors claim to follow what pharmaceutical companies advertise them to do. Hirsch, Ronald. “The Opioid Epidemic: It's Time to Place Blame Where It Belongs.” explains “We overprescribe opioids, just as we overprescribe antibiotics. But it is generally well meaning; we don’t want our patients to experience pain. But then we prescribe 30 or 60 pills when 5 or 20 would have been adequate.” This goes into depth how doctors do what they are told by companies who false

Doctors should be the ones to keep track of their patients to make sure they follow dosing directions; it is not only part of their job but also benefits them as well so that patients won't have to make more phone calls than usual. It is important for patients to be given the specific amount that they need to take in order to not have issues with opioids. According to NIDA. "Prescription Opioids DrugFacts." National Institute on Drug Abuse, states, “Long-term use of prescription opioids, even as prescribed by a doctor, can cause some people to develop a tolerance, which means that they need higher and/or more frequent doses of the drug to get the desired effects.” This tolerance soon leads to addiction, and messes with the patient's tolerance when taking this powerful medication. Yet there are many pharmaceutical companies that hide how addictive opioids can really be. Patients get told about the side effects before having to take the drug but pharmaceutical companies tend to falsely advertise how intense side effects can really be. According to Dwyer, “Your Guide To The Massive (And Massively Complex) Opioid Litigation” states, “Broadly speaking, all these companies have been accused of fueling the nation's