Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-hfldf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-10T18:17:14.263Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

26 - Opioid therapy in addicted patients:

background and perspective from the US

from 3 - Pain management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2012

Gail A. Van Norman
Affiliation:
University of Washington
Stephen Jackson
Affiliation:
Good Samaritan Hospital, San Jose
Stanley H. Rosenbaum
Affiliation:
Yale University School of Medicine
Susan K. Palmer
Affiliation:
Oregon Anesthesiology Group
Get access

Summary

This chapter discusses opioid therapy for addicted patients based on the three cases studies. Differences in history, culture, healthcare systems, laws, and attitudes have significantly affected perspectives on the ethical management of opioid use between the US and the UK. The present state of affairs is that abuse of prescription opioids is more prevalent in the US than abuse of "street" heroin. Opioid treatment of pain has periodically come under intense scrutiny in the US, resulting in fluctuations between under- and overtreatment of pain. Fears of civil or criminal prosecution may unduly influence physicians in the US, placing self-interest ahead of the traditional prioritization of beneficence and respect for patient autonomy. Differences between the US and UK in healthcare provision additionally influence opioid prescribing. The paternalistic approach more predominant in universal healthcare systems is not appropriate in the US, thus producing ethical dilemmas for the US physicians.
Type
Chapter
Information
Clinical Ethics in Anesthesiology
A Case-Based Textbook
, pp. 154 - 160
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×