It is common for doctors to prescribe narcotic or opioid pain medications to patients who have recently undergone surgery or are recovering from extremely painful injuries. Unfortunately, while these medications are quite effective at reducing pain, they are also very addictive. When doctors irresponsibly prescribe patients large quantities of medications like Dilaudid, Percocet, Vicodin, or OxyContin, they can easily wind up with damaging medication addictions.
An incredible percentage of opioid addictions start out as legitimate uses of prescription narcotics. Patients who find themselves in the disastrous position of being addicted to opioids due to the overprescription of narcotic painkillers may want to contact a Prescription Addiction Attorney in Bedford to determine whether or not their addiction is the result of medical malpractice.
Medical Negligence
Negligence is the most common form of medical malpractice. It is defined as the failure of a health care provider to exercise a proper degree of skill and care in making decisions affecting his or her patient’s health. In order to prove that an opioid addiction has stemmed from medical negligence, it must be demonstrated that the prescribing doctor was negligent.
Proving Overprescription of Medications
To determine whether or not a doctor overprescribed narcotic pain medications, attorneys typically require access to everything from the patient’s medical history and diagnosis to the doctor’s treatment records and objective information obtained from the medical literature regarding appropriate treatment. Often, expert witnesses are also called in to review medical records and provide expert opinions.
A Few Examples
Examples of negligent behavior in prescribing narcotics include the prescription of opioid painkillers despite evidence of a previous opioid addiction problem and writing prescriptions for long-term use without an adequate pain management referral. When patients suffer from chronic pain, their doctors should refer them to specializing physicians who can suggest long-term treatment plans that do not involve the use of narcotics. In certain cases, failure to do so can be considered medical negligence.
Get Help Now
Struggles with opioid addiction can ruin patients’ lives, and they should not have to suffer alone. Anyone who has developed an addiction due to his or her doctor’s negligence in overprescribing pain medication should schedule a consultation with a Prescription Addiction Attorney in Bedford as soon as possible. Contact us today for additional information.
