The standard argument for restricting patient access to pain medications is that these drugs frequently lead to addiction. A large body of research contradicts that claim, though it's doubly absurd when directed at people afflicted by terminal (and often very painful) illnesses. They sometimes have only weeks or months to live, yet they're denied pain medicine in the name of fighting opioid dependence. Such absurdity has to stop.
Join Cameron English and Dr. Chuck Dinerstein on Episode 68 of the Science Dispatch podcast as they examine the shocking case of Laurie Engel, a terminal cancer patient forced to jump through bureaucratic hoops to live out her remaining days without pain:
Some time ago I asked (via Twitter) if people knew of cases where hospice patients were being underprescribed opioid pain medications. Many did. But one story stood out. You'll see why. Meet Laurie Engel.
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