The wide availability of prescription painkillers has produced a rash of accidental overdoses and death. And sometimes, the opioids come from doctors who are so reckless they are complicit in the deaths. Occasionally, the doctors' actions are criminal. But we give licensed physicians great latitude to prescribe drugs as they see fit.
Is that system still workable? What can be done? We talk with an investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times who wrote a series about a similar crisis in Southern California.
GUEST
Lisa Girion, reporter, Los Angeles Times
Copyright 2015 KNPR-FM. To see more, visit http://www.knpr.org/.