In this episode, we're talking about opioid addiction. Since the 1990s, opioid addiction has reached epidemic levels. 3 million Americans and some 16 million people worldwide struggle with an opioid use disorder. Pennsylvania opioids have been on the rise for years, according to the National Institutes of Health. How did we get here?
Our guest is Dr. Joseph Valdez, his responsibilities include providing addiction treatment services at the Geisinger center of excellence in Bloomsburg Pennsylvania which specializes and treatment for opioid addiction. He's also the director of the addiction medicine fellowship program at Geisinger.