Physician Autonomy and the Opioid Crisis. Issue 2 (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Guevremont, Nathan; Barnes, Mark; Haupt, Claudia E.
• Other Names: Ayres Ian guest-editor.; Gluck Abbe R. guest-editor.; Stith Kate guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of law, medicine & ethics. Volume 46:Issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 203
• Page End: 219
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: Medical laws and legislation -- United States -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Law and legislation -- United States -- Periodicals; Medical ethics -- Periodicals; Jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Legislation, Medical -- Periodicals; Legislation, Nursing -- Periodicals; Ethics -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Nursing -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Societies -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Law and legislation; Medical ethics; Medical laws and legislation; United States; Periodicals; 344.73041
• DOI: 10.1177/1073110518782922
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1073-1105

Abstract

The scope and severity of the opioid epidemic in the United States has prompted significant legislative intrusion into the patient-physician relationship. These proscriptive regulatory regimes mirror earlier legislation in other politically-charged domains like abortion and gun regulation. We draw on lessons from those contexts to argue that states should consider integrating their responses to the epidemic with existing medical regulatory structures, making physicians partners rather than adversaries in addressing this public health crisis.