Ep. 10 - A Scary and Inpsiring look into the Opioid Crisis - Dr. Kyle Knierim and Daniel Pacheco

Today we’ll talk with Dr. Kyle Knierim and Daniel Pacheco from the University of Colorado. They run an opioid training program called IT MATTTRs, to support primary care practices understand their role in treating opioid addiction. These two are passionate about education and breaking down the stereotypes of helping people with pain and addiction.

We hope this episode will give you a sense of the scale and harsh realities presented by this crisis. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death for people under 50. The cost of this problem has been estimated at $504 billion dollars, with over 64,000 people dying in 2016. This number is jumping every year and has now surpassed deaths by car accidents and guns combined.

Men are vastly more affected by this crisis than women, lowering their life expectancy for the first time in decades by 3+ years because they are dying in their 40-50’s. These are regular people just like you and me! It could be your neighbors, friends, lawyers, and even the primary care doctors themselves that are struggling with this addiction.

This episode will leave you both scared and inspired! Learn more about their practice, and education materials at: www.practiceinnovationco.org.