In 2021, more than 80,400 people died from an opioid overdose in the United States. (1) As the nation continues to grapple with the devastating effects of the opioid epidemic, many in the scientific community are looking at ways to prevent addiction before it takes hold.

Physicians are being taught about more conservative prescribing practices and ways to identify patients who are abusing painkillers; states have implemented prescription drug monitoring programs; and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is offering events where people can learn about safe disposal of unused medication to avoid abuse. Researchers are also looking into nonaddictive alternatives to opioids for pain relief, such as vaccines.

“When you look at the numbers of overdoses and how many people are affected by these problems, in the United States and outside the United States, what we’re doing now is not sufficient,” says Marco Pravetoni, PhD, a professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the Center for Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders and Overdose at the University of Washington in Seattle. “We either have to optimize existing treatments or develop new ways to address the problem.”

Many people who become addicted to opioids first get hooked by taking pain medication prescribed by their doctor or dental clinician.