Medicine cannot be considered a strictly formulaic field; medical professionals must consider each individual holistically in order to make appropriate decisions regarding opioids.
There are physicians on both sides of the spectrum: some are “pill-pushers” who prescribe opioids for every case of pain they encounter, while others are so stingy about prescribing painkillers that they deprive their patients of care they desperately need. It is important for doctors to find a middle ground between the two extremes in order to provide the highest quality and safest treatment plans possible.
Opioid prescription rates are too high right now, yes, but they must not be lowered at the expense of patients who need them.