Anytime you go to the doctor or seek any form of medical care, you expect to be treated with dignity and respect. Unfortunately, the reality is that medical malpractice can happen to anyone at the hands of a healthcare professional. When it comes to opioid distribution, the consequences of medical malpractice are serious and can be life-threatening.

Pain management doctors are obligated to provide all patients with responsible care and treatment plans, including when they prescribe medication. If a doctor or medical professional fails to treat patients responsibly and writes them a prescription without meeting the duty of care for their specialty, they may be found liable for injuries that result from their actions.

In order to write a prescription for a class of drugs like opioids, pain management doctors must exhaust alternative options (i.e., non-narcotic pain medications) before they can conclude that opioids are the right form of treatment for each patient. They must also inform patients of all the risks posed by the medication while also being vigilant for tell-tale signs of addictive behavior or drug abuse.

Opioids are a class of pain-relieving drugs that work by interacting with opioid receptors found in the body. Some opioids (i.e., morphine) can be derived from a poppy plant or developed in a lab (i.e., fentanyl). When an opioid travels through a patient’s bloodstream, it attaches to the opioid receptors in the brain and suppresses the body’s perception of pain while increasing the sensation of pleasure.

Commonly prescribed medications that are considered opioids include:

Opioids are dangerous because they reduce the feeling of pain while increasing sensations of happiness and pleasure — making it easy for patients to develop an addiction. Although they are effective at relieving pain, opioids can have fatal consequences due to improper dosing.

Smaller doses can make a patient lethargic and sleepy while higher doses can lower their heart rate and slow their breathing. It is the latter that can often lead to an overdose or death. If you or someone you love has suffered injuries as a result of an opioid addiction, a medical malpractice attorney can help you pursue damages.

Doctors must weigh all possible risks and outcomes when prescribing narcotics to their patients. Unfortunately, not every pain management doctor will take the necessary precautions or even suggest alternatives — causing their patients to become tolerant to, dependent on or addicted to a prescribed opioid even after treatment has concluded.

There is a chance that a negligent doctor can be found guilty of medical malpractice if the following circumstances are met:

Whether you have suffered injuries due to a doctor’s negligence or you lost a loved one to an opioid overdose, a medical malpractice attorney can help you determine if you have a case and help you with next steps.

The Minnesota Lawyer Referral and Information Service (MNLRIS) helps connect people with experienced lawyers in Minnesota to assist with various legal matters, including medical malpractice. For more information, call (612) 752-6699.

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