America's addiction to opioids is a massive problem. More than 130 people a day die from overdoses.
Doctors on the front lines of the opioid battle say many factors contributed to the current situation, and it will likely take many approaches to fix it.
One drug maker that wants to be part of the solution is Pacira BioSciences.The company makes the drug Exparel. It's a non-opioid pain management medication that is injected at the time of surgery.
The company says it essentially turns off the body's pain signals, numbing the area for several days following a procedure.
A growing number of doctors are using it to avoid prescribing as many traditional pain pills.Not all patients have the same results, so as with any drug, the advice is to discuss it as an option with your own doctor.
Other tactics being used to tackle the opioid epidemic include doing a better job of screening patients for a history of drug, tobacco or alcohol abuse.
For outpatient procedures, some doctors are also encouraging their patients to try over the counter pain medication first, before prescribing highly addictive opioids.
