Prescribing opioids

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This Aug. 15, 2017 file photo shows an arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen  (Patrick Sison/AP Photo, File)

This Aug. 15, 2017 file photo shows an arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen (Patrick Sison/AP Photo, File)

Guests: Anupam Jena, Jonathan Reisman

The staggering rise of opioid-related deaths in America has reached critical mass, causing the public and politicians alike to figure out the causes, and solutions, of and increasingly dire situation. Since studies have shown that addiction often begins with a prescription, doctors and pharmaceutical companies are getting a lot of the blame for the epidemic. Today on the show, we’re going to talk about how, why, and when painkillers get prescribed. Joining us will be E.R. physician JONATHAN REISMAN, and by associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, ANUPAM JENA.

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