On the surface, it seems she over-prescribed. However, on looking deeper, physicians are often caught between two unpalatable options:

“On the one hand, if they prescribe too much medication for a patient “¦ they could be in trouble, even [facing] criminal prosecution,” Johnson said.

But there has also been a movement in health care to provide more adequate pain management and mental health management for patients.

“So if they prescribe too little, they could be subject to malpractice,” Johnson said.

“It is a double-edged sword,” Doering said. “At the same time these medicines control pain and disease, they have some potential for side effects and other risks to health.”