If you’ve ever wondered why every doctor you talk to at a large institution seems to say the same thing—especially about opioids—you’re not alone. It’s not a coincidence. And it’s not just their personal opinion.

Typically UC Davis Health and similar institutions, doctors are often operating under system-wide scripts, internal policies, and pressure to conform. You’re not hearing individualized care—you’re hearing institutional risk management talking through them.

Hospitals have:

Risk management teams – that shape what providers are allowed to say to limit liability.
Opioid stewardship committees – that craft internal policy, often more restrictive than CDC guidance.
Pre-approved language – built into training and electronic medical record systems.
Coordinated messaging – shared across departments, especially for “high risk” populations like chronic pain patients.

So when you hear phrases like:

– “Where does it end?”
– “We’re just trying to keep you safe.”
– “Buprenorphine is safer long term.”
– “Opioids aren’t effective for chronic pain.”
– “Have you tried physical therapy?”

…it’s because these messages have been curated, rehearsed, and repeated by design.

Why Doctors Repeat the Same Lines

1. **CYA culture**: Institutions are obsessed with avoiding legal risk. These phrases were created to shift blame and avoid accountability.
2. **Time pressure**: It’s easier and faster to repeat what’s already been approved than to evaluate a complex case.
3. **Internal politics**: Challenging the system—even when a patient is right—can be career suicide in large academic institutions.
4. **Belief drift**: After years of repeating the same thing, even good doctors can forget how to think critically about pain.

What This Means for You

If you feel like you’re being treated like a policy problem instead of a person—it’s because you are. And you’re not imagining it. This is how institutional medicine gaslights patients, especially those with chronic pain.

Doctors like Dr. Curole, Dr. Davis, Dr. Kotova, and Dr. Torres weren’t rogue. They were following the playbook.

But just because it’s in the playbook doesn’t make it ethical. Or legal. Or safe.

And that’s exactly why this site exists—to expose the script, name the pattern, and demand change.