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The article discusses the role of courts and civil litigation during the U.S. opioid crisis of the early 21st century. It examines legal claims against the pharmaceutical industry such as Purdue Pharma and retail pharmacies that have evolved into multidistrict litigation (MDL), and comparisons between opioid abuse and tobacco lawsuits that resulted in the Master Settlement Agreement of 1998.

The article discusses the role of specialty and primary care physicians in pain and drug addition management in the context of the opioid crisis in the U.S. during the early 21st century. It touches on the legislation the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000, the attitude of the pharmaceutical industry, and government regulation concerning prescription drugs.

An introduction is presented in which the guest editors discuss articles in the journal on the topic of the U.S. opioid crisis of the early 21st century and the medical profession's response to it.