From pain patient to junkie: An economic theory of painkiller consumption and its impact on wellbeing and longevity
构建了一个止痛药消费的生命周期模型，结合健康赤字积累和成瘾理论，分析慢性疼痛患者使用阿片类止痛药如何导致成瘾、降低福祉和预期寿命，并区分完全理性与不完全理性成瘾者的行为差异。
In this paper, I propose a life cycle model of painkiller consumption that combines the theory of health deficit accumulation with the theory of addiction. Chronic pain is conceptualized as a persistent negative shock to lifetime utility that can be treated by pain relief medication. Individuals treated with opioid pain relievers (OPR) develop addiction, which increases their demand for opioids and reduces their welfare and life expectancy through side effects and potential overdose. I calibrate the model for a benchmark American and investigate the comparative dynamics of alternative drug characteristics, pain intensities, and ages of onsets of pain as well as their implications for welfare and life expectancy. Computational experiments are used to identify fully rational and imperfectly rational addiction behavior. Fully rational addicts reduce OPR use when new information about the addictive potential of these drugs arrives. Imperfectly rational addicts further develop their addiction and switch to illicit opioid use. Likewise, a discontinued prescription helps fully rational addicts to quit quickly, while it induces imperfectly rational individuals to take up heroin. I also discuss treatment of OPR addiction and the use of opioids in palliative care.