13. Creating a Culture of Overprescribing
Through relentless promotion and education campaigns, Big Pharma normalized the routine prescription of high-dose opioids, embedding the belief that effective pain management required medication above all else. Doctors were encouraged to treat pain as a “fifth vital sign,” often with little regard for alternative therapies. As detailed by Harvard Public Health, this shift in medical culture fueled overprescribing, leaving millions exposed to the risks of addiction and dependency.
