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Policing Patients: Treatment and Surveillance on the Frontlines of the Opioid Crisis
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 27, 2024
I really enjoyed this one and thought it was an 'easy' read. it flowed well and wasn't too dense or overly technical. I thought the approach was novel and that she captured a diverse array of perspectives from the doctors and pharmacists and law enforcement.
I do think that her conclusion chapter on policy proposals could have been a bit more comprehensive and that overall she could have said more about pain patients or explored the repercussions of denying medications more. While she briefly touched on pain patients who commit suicide when they are unable to get the meds they desperately need, and a little less briefly on those with addiction issues' risk of overdose when they turn to street drugs to fill the gap, I think that exploring those in more detail would have better supported the work.
She does a great job analyzing the policing of patients and whether that is appropriate to the mission of these healthcare providers. But I think the argument surveillance it is antithetical to the mission of healthcare providers to treat patients would be emboldened with a greater analysis of the material harms. While she touched on those harms, she did not go into the same level of detail or provide the same amount of support for those claims. As this is something I am already familiar with, I could fill in the gaps on my own; I knew what it was getting at. But a reader without any preexisting knowledge of these harms may not be convinced by her argument. Which is a shame, because I think that it is a really good one. An argument could be made that some of that is beyond the scope of the work, but I do think it is critical to the argument she is making and would have made the work more comprehensive.
Overall, I thought it was well-done and offers a unique perspective not offered elsewhere and will likely become an important part of the addiction canon.
As I would definitely recommend this, but not as a standalone, I'd recommend reading other work on addiction, chronic pain, and drug criminalization first. Ones that I have read that I think are important for developing a well-rounded understanding of addiction and pain are:
*Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America by Beth Macy (2018)
*When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era by Donovon X. Ramsey (2023)
*Prison by Any Other Name: The Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms by Maya Schenwar and
Victoria Law (2020), especially for their discussion on drug courts.
While not necessary for an academic understanding of addiction or chronic pain and illness, these give a material perspective that a reader of Chiarello's book might also appreciate, so I'm adding them too:
* What Doesn't Kill You: A Life with Chronic Illness - Lessons from a Body in Revolt by Tessa Miller (2021)
* About Us: Essays from the Disability Series of the New York Times (2019)
* Beautiful Things: A Memoir by Hunter Biden (2021)
* The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O'Rourke (2022)
I do think that her conclusion chapter on policy proposals could have been a bit more comprehensive and that overall she could have said more about pain patients or explored the repercussions of denying medications more. While she briefly touched on pain patients who commit suicide when they are unable to get the meds they desperately need, and a little less briefly on those with addiction issues' risk of overdose when they turn to street drugs to fill the gap, I think that exploring those in more detail would have better supported the work.
She does a great job analyzing the policing of patients and whether that is appropriate to the mission of these healthcare providers. But I think the argument surveillance it is antithetical to the mission of healthcare providers to treat patients would be emboldened with a greater analysis of the material harms. While she touched on those harms, she did not go into the same level of detail or provide the same amount of support for those claims. As this is something I am already familiar with, I could fill in the gaps on my own; I knew what it was getting at. But a reader without any preexisting knowledge of these harms may not be convinced by her argument. Which is a shame, because I think that it is a really good one. An argument could be made that some of that is beyond the scope of the work, but I do think it is critical to the argument she is making and would have made the work more comprehensive.
Overall, I thought it was well-done and offers a unique perspective not offered elsewhere and will likely become an important part of the addiction canon.
As I would definitely recommend this, but not as a standalone, I'd recommend reading other work on addiction, chronic pain, and drug criminalization first. Ones that I have read that I think are important for developing a well-rounded understanding of addiction and pain are:
*Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America by Beth Macy (2018)
*When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era by Donovon X. Ramsey (2023)
*Prison by Any Other Name: The Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms by Maya Schenwar and
Victoria Law (2020), especially for their discussion on drug courts.
While not necessary for an academic understanding of addiction or chronic pain and illness, these give a material perspective that a reader of Chiarello's book might also appreciate, so I'm adding them too:
* What Doesn't Kill You: A Life with Chronic Illness - Lessons from a Body in Revolt by Tessa Miller (2021)
* About Us: Essays from the Disability Series of the New York Times (2019)
* Beautiful Things: A Memoir by Hunter Biden (2021)
* The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O'Rourke (2022)
August 20, 2025
Absolutely LOVED this book! I’ll be referencing it each time I teach Drugs and Crime. While it’s an academically grounded text, I found it both engaging and very accessible to read. Perfect for assigning to undergrad classes.
June 23, 2026
I used to think prescription monitoring databases were a simple, necessary tool to save lives during the opioid crisis. This eye opening book completely shattered that illusion, and it honestly broke my heart.
Chiarello exposes how this technology acts as a "Trojan horse," subtly forcing compassionate doctors and pharmacists to become frontline police officers instead of healers. Reading about the impossible choices these providers face and the devastating toll it takes on vulnerable patients trapped between severe pain and systemic suspicion left me incredibly shaken. The book beautifully untangles how the line between medicine and criminal justice has blurred, turning the exam room into a space of surveillance rather than trust.
It is a deeply moving, urgent, and profound critique of what happens when we prioritize punishment over care. Anyone who cares about the human cost of healthcare and the ongoing drug crisis needs to read this immediately.
Chiarello exposes how this technology acts as a "Trojan horse," subtly forcing compassionate doctors and pharmacists to become frontline police officers instead of healers. Reading about the impossible choices these providers face and the devastating toll it takes on vulnerable patients trapped between severe pain and systemic suspicion left me incredibly shaken. The book beautifully untangles how the line between medicine and criminal justice has blurred, turning the exam room into a space of surveillance rather than trust.
It is a deeply moving, urgent, and profound critique of what happens when we prioritize punishment over care. Anyone who cares about the human cost of healthcare and the ongoing drug crisis needs to read this immediately.
November 9, 2024
Clear-eyed look at how the trauma of the opioid crisis led to a worrisome trend of policing patients suffering from drug dependency rather than meeting them where they are. This is an academic book, but it doesn't read like one, with a volume of research supporting a narrative that's easily to follow and compellingly told.
May 31, 2026
i had no clue that PDMPs existed, very informative!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews