Unfortunately, having your situation described by the doctors as palliative care seems to be the only solution to long-term pain management drugs. You can get that description without being terminal. They just need to specify that you will never get better and will need treatment until you die. That being said, my doctor still comes under pressure from regulators and management. I am lucky to have a pain pump. Truth. I had unlimited access to oral meds before the pump. Real pain experts know that the patient who makes their own decisions about dose size will use less than the patient worried about where the next dose will come from. Large doses of oral meds will become ineffective over time and even if they don't make you high, they do alter your affect and slow your mental functioning. I know from personal experience.

The opiate problem was not caused by doctors treating real patients. Some of those patients screw up and get high and get hooked. The real villans were the producers who taught the unscrupulous doctors how to addict some patients, and distributors who made drugs available to pill mills. The vast majority of overdose deaths are the result of illegal drugs poorly titrated. It is just to hard to do it right. Tiny amounts of fentanyl can and do kill. Our government needs to find out where these drugs are coming from and stop the importers. The usual suspects would include the Ukraine, Mexico and India. They are the sources for the ephedrine which is turned into meth and is smuggled in my Mexican and other South American countries and our government knows this. Never forget that our government made it illegal for our Drug Enforcement Agency to investigate the opiate producers. Don't take my word for it. Research it. The Washington Post wrote about it in 2017. Passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President. Drug lobbyists at work.

I came across a renegade pharmacist on this chat board. The guy would fill legitimate scripts for the same price as anyone else. He would sell you anything you asked for, for about 10 times the legal price. It was a real eye opener and was removed from the website quickly. We must continue to tell the real story about the opioid crisis and keep telling it over and over. Love and blessings.

I Can't agree with you anymore !!
Substance abuse of opioids or non opioids will always continue no matter what Congress or world leaders say or do. If you want to get high and abuse or profit from it you will find the products and a way to do what you intend to do!!!
What is concerning and SAD, it's hurting the folks that actually need this medication/drug to live a normal life or as normal as possible. Everyday, common folks that live with chronic pain, are the true victims of this opioid crisis. Dr 's are afraid to prescribe for the fear of litigation and loosing everything they worked for.
I need pain relief each day and shouldn't be told what I need or do from a government entity.