Yeti Crab Blog Post #1

Prior to the start of the Medical Innovations class, the extent of the opioid epidemic was not yet clear to the Yeti Crabs. They collectively believed that the epidemic mostly affected people addicted to street drugs, such as heroin, and none of them were aware of the magnitude of the crisis. As the team became more knowledgeable, it became evident that the opioid epidemic affected not only regular street drug users, but people of all ages that became addicted to painkillers. The Yeti Crabs decided to narrow their focus to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) patients, who are an overlooked population trying to end their dependency on opioids. They believe that if the recovery aspect of the opioid epidemic is called to attention, and if their innovation can ameliorate the lives of MAT patients, then major strides will be taken to combat the opioid epidemic.