Opioids in practice

For some time, I've wanted to write about the opioid epidemic from my point of view--the doc in practice, who doesn't understand what's happening at the time.   Here is that piece.   It is difficult to imagine how doctors trying to do the right thing can ever prevail against  the influence of  the drug companies, who put profits ahead of patients.  The coverage in the mainstream media, which has focused  on the doctors who were paid spokespeople for the pharmaceutical companies, has not emphasized enough how the companies influenced the rest of us through state medical boards, legislation and the FDA.  

  http://threepennyreview.com/samples/martin_w18.html