Are Doctors Unintentionally Becoming Drug Pushers?

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - We have a major problem in this country.

Are doctors unintentionally becoming drug pushers? It all has to do with pain medication and abuse. Most of us think about drug abuse in terms of crack cocaine or heroin, but some of the leading drugs of abuse are pain medications. Here is where it gets serious: there are three sets of pain patients: those who truly need treatment for a painful condition, those who are addicted to pain medication and need to get help cutting back, and those who are getting a prescription with the goal of filling it and selling the drugs on the street. Doctors are often the victims of doctor shopping and a new weapon; bad ratings through online doctor evaluation sites are being used by some to bully doctors into prescribing. This is a big problem in hospitals which are now rated like car dealerships. Certain patients complain about poor pain control, a good thing if needed, but others are smart enough to use the system to demand medications. The threat is a poor survey which can seriously damage a hospital's rating.