The number of pain specialists seems to be dwindling due to DEA harassment/regulation.
In the denser urban areas, it is almost impossible to get opioids due to heightened DEA scrutiny. You have to travel outside of those areas. A friend got a surgery downtown and was only able to get a token dose at the hospital pharmacy. She was told she could likely only get the script filled where she lived (an hour outside of town).
This is what happens when a law enforcement agency is put in charge of who gets what medicine.
For as much as opioids are demonized, there are a lot of people out there who can’t function without them and use them responsibly. Of course they are getting caught up in the moral panic and either being forced to stop taking them or significantly reducing their dose, resulting in a much lower quality of life.
And the doctors could care less. Not only that, but if he complains about his medicine arriving late or about his dose being constantly lowered or about his treatment, then he is treated even worse.
The "hoops" I am referring to are: frequent drug tests, frequent classes/counseling an hours drive away, frequent alternative and experimental treatments an hours drive away, all the while being blatantly accused of being a drug-seeking addict.
My father is the most upstanding man I know. He is a Vietnam Veteran with related injuries who receives his treatment at the VA (which is the most inefficiently-run place I have ever witnessed. Seriously its a complete embarrassment. The arrogant doctors who know absolutely nothing about pain management, and who make no effort to hide that they care less doesnt even begin to cover whats wrong with that place..but I digress..). My father only agreed to accept opiates as a last resort. He has never had issues with alcohol/cigarettes/marijuana or any other drugs. He is an honest, church-going, hardworking gentleman who doesnt deserve to be humiliated multiple times per month to just live a nearly pain-free life.
This recent trend to eradicate opiates, while somewhat understandable, is leaving many good people with a life of constant severe pain.
Sorry for the rant. I got started, and I couldnt stop.
This is totally my experience. If you want to know why people die trying to stretch out their supply of insulin, that's why. They know they'll be punished for being too much of a pain in the ass. My friend with epilepsy carefully hoards his drugs. He knows he needs to be able to skate at least two weeks on his own.