I am a retired RN and also someone who has used narcotics for chronic pain (serious use years ago for a severe jaw issue) and also for back and neck pain. These days my use is very minimal. I am lucky the spinal cord stimulator has really helped me deal with my back pain! I get nerve blocks for my neck about every 12 weeks which also help.
I agree with what you said except for one thing: I honestly don’t think it’s fair to totally blame medical bureaucracy. I think it was politically driven and I think more doctors are fearful of getting in trouble for prescribing opiates than those who buy “into the rhetoric”. Just my opinion, but based in knowing people in healthcare. It’s become a huge convoluted mess with finger pointing in multiple directions. If the issue of drug misuse/abuse is truly looked at, majority of abuse has been shown to NOT stem from prescribed drugs being used BY the patient. It is misuse of those drugs via “others” - theft by family, friends, or strangers. Use of street drugs. Huge money to be made in illegal drug transactions. When I was able to discontinue use of hydrocodone and morphine for my jaw issue, once I recovered from the surgery, I remember rolling my eyes as the rest of the pills were safely discarded - they could have brought in a lot of money! I knew that from being a nurse.