Opioid Epidemic Analysis

Both Celine Gounder and Sushrut Jangi share many ideas concerning the opioid epidemic, but also disagree on some as well. For starters, Gounder and Jangi blame doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and patients for the problem. Both talk extensively about these groups of people and organizations in their articles and explain how they are contributing to the problem. Also, these two authors acknowledge that most doctors did not consciously contribute to the epidemic. Within, their articles they explain that most doctors are well-intentioned, but pharmaceutical companies have clouded their judgment on how to practice medicine. Another point that both Gounder and Jangi share is that as doctors themselves, they too are to blame for their part in creating and fueling the

While, both authors see eye to eye, on some topics, they also disagree on several other topics. The first difference between these two authors is their stance on the role insurance companies plays in the opioid epidemic. Gounder believes that insurance companies play a large part in the creation and continuing opioid epidemic. In her article, she states that health insurers cover the cost of opioids, but not alternative forms of pain relief. Jangi, on the other hand, does not talk about this topic at all in his article. Another topic that these two authors disagree on is their attitudes towards the doctors’ role in the opioid epidemic. Gounder is lenient on doctors in her article and somewhat points to other sources that help cause this epidemic. Gounder also implies through the tone of her article that doctors are also victims, due to society pressuring them into doing what is immoral and wrong. However, Jangi takes more credit since he is a doctor that admits to overprescribing opioids. He believes that doctors did have a part in creating the epidemic and that they should own up to it