Both physicians and pharmacists have responsibilities to ensure that opioids are prescribed and dispensed for legitimate medical purposes and to meet legal requirements.
AMA J Ethics. 2020; 22(8):E675-680. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2020.675.
When symptoms of polypharmacy are consistent with those of difficult-to-diagnose disorders, reliable determinations about which drugs are necessary is critical.
AMA J Ethics. 2018; 20(12):E1133-1138. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2018.1133.
Legacy patients are so-called because their opioid use behaviors express past, aggressive opioid prescribing by a clinician. Managing their pain and dependence justly is ethically complex.
AMA J Ethics. 2020; 22(8):E651-657. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2020.651.