Dr Patricia Luck joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Arman M. Niknafs: “Reasons Not to Turf a Patient Whose ‘Belonging’ in a Hospital Is Unclear.”
Given full information about the risks of long-term opioid therapy, patients often see the value of exploring other options rather than thinking their physicians are reluctant to prescribe narcotics for fear of litigation or regulatory action.
AMA J Ethics. 2015;17(3):202-208. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.3.ecas1-1503.
When patients request drugs for nonmedical reasons, the most effective intervention may be to explore with the patient his or her reasons for using drugs to make lifestyle changes.