The NYT looks at doctors who are duped into prescribing painkillers or certain meds by patients Occupational Hazard: Playing the Fool
I suggest that we apply a similar principle to the prescribing of narcotic painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs. Let’s assume that it’s impossible not to be fooled at least some of the time — that when assessing patients’ sincerity, we should expect a certain rate of false positives.
Thus, when confronting patients who demand Xanax or morphine, doctors should worry less about defending their self-esteem and their lie-detection skills (after all, the most talented sociopaths are the ones most skilled at convincing others of their honesty) and more about what treatment is best for the patient.
Source: The New York Times
