There was a period of time (00's) when it was hard to get out of an episode of medical treatment for any kind of injury or pain complaint without a script for V

There was a period of time (00's) when it was hard to get out of an episode of medical treatment for any kind of injury or pain complaint without a script for Vicodin in your hand. You had to actively refuse them at every turn. This was bad medicine, implemented by oblivious (or complicit) docs, pushed by bad practices by drug companies. Don't blame the patient.