I thought it was OK

I agree that the part about him being unable to score drugs was so counter intuitive it really tanked the character and created a big gap of believability in the movie. A man that rich and poiwerful would have had several "cool" pain specialist doctors and also a few simpatico drug-using buddies who are "connected." The idea of him begging and begging that old lump of a doctor and then trying to bribe the pharmacist (!) utterly preposterous. And his behavior in the ER was also ridiculous. It's like the movie's writer read an article about drug-seeking behavior and then wrote the scene for Gere to do ALL of it and shout it too.

If you do not know where to get drugs, you don't know.
I don't know why being rich would have anything to do with it.
If you get caught or into a problem it is worse, and you can get taken advantage of.
It is dangerous for rich people to mix with the drug dealing type people.

Franny DID use his money and power - for 5 long years!

I think Dr. Sam FINALLY started feeling some guilt about the ongoing and debilitating situation.

. . . also - it's not clear, but Dr.Sam made the statement -
something about 'policies
changing' - so that by the time
Franny was this 'hooked' no
doctor would oblige him -

This was portrayed in the ER where they see people all the time trying to get strong meds . . .

I thought the movie really made a statement portraying prescription drug addiction and how some of these doctors are really part of the problem.

Also - your point about him being rich and powerful is good - but at the same time, he was the head of a children's hospital and it could be that he didn't want to deal with a lot of doctors knowing his situation - he seemed to have Dr.Sam at his disposal until, it seems, he couldn't live with himself being a morphine pump anymore . . .

I thought it was perfect because he’s a druggie and can’t think straight, hence the confusing storyline to give the viewer same effect.

It was one dumb scene of him begging for drugs, again you do crazy things when you’re desperate but one scene does not mean he’s been begging for drugs forever. Dumb criticism from so-called film critics.

A man sleeps with another man and he’s gay or weird. Loneliness can make a man do things you never seen before. He’s obviously not just suffering from addiction, but survivor’s guilt, narcissism, depression, early signs of dementia, and loneliness.

This was a prequel because he cleans up at the end of movie and finally “cures” himself from these ailments when he meets Julia Roberts.