It’s not right that primary care physicians are the leading source for opioid dependence/abuse in our country. People are abusing opioid painkillers obtained through a physician’s prescription. So why are we letting physicians increase the addiction rate in our country? People should be treated effectively and not prescribed painkillers and pushed aside. It’s important for primary care physicians to assess and care for the patient by exploring all factors that could affect the presenting health problem. The first responsibility of a physician is “Do No Harm”. Well, our primary care physicians are doing quite the opposite by overprescribing opioid painkillers. Today, American citizens must take a stand and fight to stop this epidemic in our country. Opium originates from the …show more content…
It’s the patient’s responsibility to take their medications responsibility and adhere to the dosage label on the front of the pill bottle. It is safer for patients to review prescription opiates from a physician. In the Practitioner’s Manual, it is mandated that a controlled substance be dated and signed on the date of issue. In addition, the patient’s full name and address as well as the practitioner’s full name and address and DEA registration number (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2017). So, there are regulations in place when prescribing a controlled substance. Once the patient picks up the prescription, consequences are no longer in the hands of the physician. It the responsibility of the patient. Regarding physicians being more educated, training programs are being implemented for physicians prescribing controlled substances and treating pain. This training program has already been implemented in the state of Arizona (Carr, 2017). Training can be implemented, but it still won’t help keep abusers away from opiates. If they don’t get it from physicians, abusers will get it from a friend or on the