A Pain Doctor's Dilemma

Dr. Richard Ng can easily recall the darkest day of his life: Feb. 17, 2017. That was the day he was sentenced to eighty-seven months in prison after he admitted in a plea bargain that he prescribed hydrocodone without legitimate medical purposes to an undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Although he had seen hundreds if not thousands of patients over the years, he was punished after a handful of visits from undercover agents. In telling his story, he explores the tough choices doctors face when treating patients suffering from chronic pain. Chronic pain patients usually try numerous treatment options before seeking opioid painkillers from doctors, which are effective for pain management. Easing chronic pain with opioids helps many more people than it harms, but addicts have made doctors who prescribe pain medication an easy target. Whether you're a patient suffering from chronic pain trying to understand and ease your condition, a health care provider seeking a larger view of the opioid landscape, or a young doctor considering pain management as a career, you'll find valuable information in A Pain Doctor's Dilemma.