In Serious Pain? Getting Your Meds May Get Even Harder

When her dentist recently told Zipa Hahn of Washington, D.C. that she’d need a tooth pulled, Zipa asked for assurance that he’d give her any narcotics she needed to deal with the pain during her recovery. But instead of promising her a treasure trove of drugs, her dentist told her he’d recently changed his prescribing practices for tooth extractions: Zipa would get one narcotic pill to take at home when the anesthetic wore off. After that, she’d need to switch to nonprescription meds for any lingering discomfort, though she could call him if her pain didn’t ease up.