More kids are dying of drug overdoses. Could pediatricians do more to help?

As part of his pediatric practice, Dr. Safdar Medina treats opioid use disorder. During a recent appointment at a clinic in Uxbridge, Mass., Medina switched a teenage patient's buprenorphine prescription to an injectable form and checked in about his school and social life. (Martha Bebinger/WBUR)

A 17-year-old boy with shaggy blond hair steps onto the scale at Tri-River Family Health Center in Uxbridge, Massachusetts.

After he's weighed, he heads for an exam room decorated with decals of planets and cartoon characters. A nurse checks his blood pressure. A pediatrician asks about school, home life and his friendships.