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 drugmaker that wants to be part of the solution is Pacira BioSciences. Pacira claims its drug Exparel could be a solution to addictive pain management.
Exparel is 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 Exparel to avoid prescribing as many traditional pain pills. Not all patients have the same results, so Pacira recommends discussing the drug with a doctor before use.
In addition to drugs like Exparel, doctors are also tackling the opioid crisis by extensively screening patients for their 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.
This story was originally published by Fay Fredricks on KNXV in Phoenix.
