The Politics of Pain: 3rd Annual Perry Fine Lecture at West Virginia University

Scott M. Fishman, MD

Division of Pain Medicine
School of Medicine
University of California Davis
Davis, California

The World Health Organization has stated that undertreated pain is the number one health problem in America. Sharp rises in unintentional prescription drug overdose rates, however, have caused regulators to move to restrict access to prescription opioids and other potentially abusable medications classes. Here, Dr. Fishman discusses medical marijuana, responsible opioid prescribing, and regulatory/legal prosecution of physicians.

References

1. Fishman SM. Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician’s Guide. 2007. Waterford Life Sciences, Washington, DC.
2. Hall AJ, Logan JE, Toblin RL, et al. Patterns of abuse among unintentional pharmaceutical overdose fatalities. JAMA. 2008;300(22):2613-2620.
3. Dunn KM, Saunders KW, Rutter CM, et al. Opioid prescriptions for chronic pain and overdose: a cohort study. Ann Intern Med. 2010;152(2):85-92.

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