It's unfortunate ...But we've got an opportunity to give Doctor's more tools for the toolbox !
There's an old adage among physicians that "the patient can always hurt you more." This refers to the emotional toll personal mistakes and surgical complications can have on physicians when treating ill patients. A recent event has given that old adage a new, more tangible meaning.
Michael Louis, a patient at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, medical office, underwent spinal surgery last month. After being released on May 24, he repeatedly called the clinic to get further treatment for his lasting pain to no avail. On June 2, he targeted and killed his surgeon, Preston Phillips, before killing himself in a mass shooting.
While this story is shocking, it is not unpredictable. Doctors are often threatened by patients in immense pain after they are abruptly cut off from their opioid medications. How did we get here?
https://reason.com/2022/06/07/americas-failed-opioid-policy-drove-the-tulsa-shooter-to-violence/