In an effort to combat the opioid addiction crisis, North Carolina last year ordered doctors to use a statewide prescription drug database to see what opioids a patient has already been prescribed. Many physicians say it’s too time-consuming, but while hospitals and doctors across the North Carolina wait for the state to upgrade the system, UNC Health Care took matters into their own hands by integrating its electronic medical records system with the state database. Since launching the system in late June, UNC Health Care estimates doctors have saved nearly 250 hours – time that can be spent instead with patients.