Doctors refusing to accept new patients whose treatment requires use of opioids
Granted, there is an epidemic of Opioid Use Disorder around the world. What is not being reported is the epidemic of doctors who refuse to accept patients (unless required by law in emergencies) whose condition required the regular use of opioids. It took me three weeks of calling every Internal Medicine Clinic and Pain Management provider in my city of 500+K to find a PA (not a doctor) who was willing to treat me without cherry picking which conditions they would or would not treat. I provide patient support for my condition on two different websites and we frequently are dealing with people who are near suicide because their provider refuses to treat them. Doctors seem to be too scared of the DEA to adhere to their Hippocratic Oath, or else their employer's attorneys and/or staff simply refuse to allow them to treat us.
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Stephen N Smith commented
This situation is pushing patients toward suicide, yet no one seems to care. Suicide numbers are up, deaths due to Opioid Use Disorder have not declined even though the number of opioid prescriptions written by doctors is down, yet no one seems to care about the suffering of patients with legitimate needs for these critical medications.