How Does the Opioid Crisis Impact the Treatment of Patients with Pain Management Needs? Questions for Future Research.

While the opioid crisis is of concern, are the pain management needs of some patients going unmet? Based on our experiences as health advocates for a patient experiencing pain, the attempts made to address their pain, and the barriers encountered, we submit questions for future research. The first question is how can a patient’s pain be adequately treated given the hesitation of doctors to prescribe pain medication due to the opioid crisis? The second question asks if a nurse should be able to deny a patient pain medication prescribed by a doctor? The third question considers if clear communication between the patient, family, nurses, and doctors is really sought or do some actors find the deniability provided by communication barriers advantageous? Context is provided as to how these questions were formulated.