Lawyer Monthly - January 2022 Edition

behaviors. Furthermore, they are being prescribed an array of medications by different types of providers in different settings with little to no standardization of treatment. Each practice environment needs to be individually evaluated based on its own capability combined with the practice standard at the time, which is rapidly changing. So, the main challenges are evaluating the complexities of the disease process, the lack of standardisation of treatment and the variety of practice settings and coming up with a solid foundation of how patients should be best managed. Are there any common misconceptions about addiction that you try to dispel? The main misconception is that addiction is a moral failing. EXPERT WITNESS 79 JAN 2022 | WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM Addiction happens to good people. Addiction happens to smart, professional people from good families. We have had pilots, physicians, nurses, attorneys and just about everyone from all walks of life come into the clinic with substance abuse problems. Especially now that we have good medications, it is not enough to just let people go “cold turkey” and hope for the best. Do you have any closing comments to make about the importance of addiction medicine as a specialisation for expert witnesses? Just as attorneys have always looked the best specialist for a particular case, this is no different. The most important thing is for attorneys to know there are addiction medicine specialists out there who can render expertise to assist in these specialised cases. Especially now that we have good medications, it is not enough to just let people go “cold turkey” and hope for the best. Ken Starr MD Ken Starr MD Wellnes Group 107 Nelson St, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 Tel: +1 805-319-7372 E: ken@kenstarrmd.com www.kenstarmd.com About Ken Starr Ken Starr is an authority in the field of addiction medicine and wellness. Since founding his clinic in 2012 after the overdose death of his brother, he has been committed to helping patients achieve lasting sobriety and improve the quality of their lives. Ken utilises medications, supplements and traditional and non-traditional therapies that help people overcome chemical dependency and live the lives they know are possible. His current areas of interest include advancing drug and alcohol detox methods, facilitating long term recovery, IV nutritional programs for optimal health, and men’s health programs.