Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Winter 2-21-2025
Abstract
Abstract
The opioid crisis has been shown to affect regions within Appalachia disproportionately. Beginning with the medical ideology of pain limitation for patients, as well as the increased marketing of opioids as pain treatment medication, clinics and hospitals started significantly increasing prescription rates. The increased availability of opioids led to widespread exposure to a highly addictive and dangerous substance. The Appalachian region was disproportionally affected because of the labor-intensive economy and lack of alternative forms of care, especially in counties like Scioto. The widespread usage led clinics and physicians to take advantage of the demand for the medication. This abuse can be seen in the form of pill mills or pain clinics, where opioid prescriptions were easily and frequently provided. This paper examines the role that local clinics, like Greater Medical Advance Inc., had in contributing to the crisis in the region. It also will argue that healthcare professionals have a higher responsibility for the overall long-term health of communities than they do for treating patient pain with the use of opioids. Using the ethical frameworks of utilitarian theory, deontological ethics, and corporate social responsibility (CSR), we conclude that medical professionals must take responsibility for this crisis and the health of the communities they serve.
Advisor
Claudia Hanrahan, PhD
Recommended Citation
Bodrock, James and Robinson, Bianca, "Pill Mills and the Opioid Crisis in Appalachia: Patient Autonomy vs. Ethical Responsibility" (2025). Business Ethics. 12.
https://digitalcommons.shawnee.edu/business_ethics_3100/12
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