Work

Professional Status and Physicians’ Views of Expanding Governmental Oversight of Prescribing Drugs

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) represent new challenges to physicians’ professional autonomy and authority. In this study, physicians’ attitudes toward government officials’ use of PDMP data are explored using online survey data. In general, the physicians surveyed ( n = 2,444) expressed qualified support of criminal justice officials’ accessing PDMP data to combat abuse. Also, doctors with higher professional status, older physicians, and those who prescribed more opioids were significantly less supportive of criminal justice oversight. The findings have implications both for reducing the prescription drug epidemic and for sociological research on the profession of medicine.

Source: Socius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World

DOI: 10.1177/2378023117707647

Authors: Eric R. Wright, Neal A. Carnes, Wyndy Greene Smelser, Ben Lennox Kail

Institution: Georgia State University

Language: English

Topic: Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,000