Newswise — Today, toxicology reports confirmed that Prince’s death was caused by an opioid overdose.

Chronic pain affects more than 100 million American adults and many of them find relief with prescription pain medication including opioids. While opioids can relieve pain, they’re not without risk: each day 44 people die from opioid overdoses and 80 percent of those deaths are unintentional.

Anita Gupta, PharMD, D.O., co-chair of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Ad Hoc Committee on Prescription Opioid Abuse and pain medicine specialist can discuss:

• Why prescription opioid abuse and misuse have reached epidemic levels• How opioids can play an important role in controlling moderate to severe pain• Tips for patients regarding opioids for pain control• How a celebrity’s passing, like Prince’s death, can hopefully lead to important conversations between Americans in pain and their physicians about finding the right pain management approach

Dr. Gupta is available for interviews. Additional information on opioids is available here.