U.S. drug makers are scrambling to find a way to help more than 30,000 patients suffering from opioid addiction, but many are also scrambling to keep their clinics open.
The Southside Dermatology and Skin Care Institute of Southern California, which provides emergency care to those suffering from addiction, has been hit hard.
Since mid-May, it has been forced to close about a dozen clinics in the county.
The institute is in a desperate situation.
Its board has received calls from patients and friends who are struggling with opioid addiction and are desperate to see the clinic reopen.
The clinics are among a growing number of emergency rooms that have closed across the country due to opioid overdose deaths.
The rise of opioids and other opioids in the U.K., Canada, Germany and other countries has pushed the opioid crisis to new heights, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday.
The CDC found that opioid deaths have surpassed car crashes for the first time since 2012.
A total of 4,946 opioid-related deaths were recorded in 2017, compared with 3,734 in 2016.
