Every person in pain, regardless of substance abuse history, has the right to quality patient care and treatment. Numerous healthcare providers believe they do not have the information and the required communication abilities to respond to the necessities of patients with addiction. During one of the largest studies on how primary care doctors address substance abuse, fewer than 20% described themselves as readily capable in identifying alcoholism or illicit drug use. Furthermore, greater than 50% of patients with substance abuse claimed the primary care doctor disregarded their substance abuse. Thus, doctors often undertreat the pain in this particular group due to misinterpretations, stigmas, and ethical beliefs. Topics that will be covered
