Massachusetts Doctor Grapples With Her — And Pharma's — Role In The Opioid Epidemic

What would it take to completely solve the opioid addiction crisis? Dr. Elisabeth Poorman, a primary care doctor in Everett, says the answer is nothing short of the complete restructuring of the American health care system as we know it.

In a recent commentary, Poorman — who is also a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical school and a contributor to WBUR's Commonhealth — wrote about just how deep the ties are between medical education, medical practice and the pharmaceutical industry. She says it took more than a decade for her to realize that everything she'd ever learned about prescribing opioids was wrong.

Now, she is calling on the medical community to find a way to treat patients with chronic pain while being mindful of the potential for opioid addiction.

Dr. Elisabeth Poorman, primary care doctor, clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and contributor to WBUR's Commonhealth. She tweets @DrPoorman.