SOLUTION:

The more opioids you get after surgery, the more likely you are to be dependent on them down the road. And it doesn't take very long to become dependent on opioids – days to weeks. The solution Washington State and others have enacted are tighter guidelines advising doctors how many pills can be dispensed following surgery, getting them to counsel patients on the risks of the medication, and encouraging them to recommend alternatives for pain relief.

STORY:

How changes in Washington State law around opioid prescribing played out through two major surgeries. Reporter Eilís O’Neill follows a mother, Megan, through the birth of her second child. Two and a half years earlier, when her first child was on his way, Megan had a totally different experience.