All six of New England's governors urged the medical community Tuesday to rethink how they prescribe addictive pain medication.
The region's governors are largely on the same page when it comes to prescribers.
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin made it clear to the audience of doctors that he wants them to understand more about the opiate pills they hand out and how they can lead to addiction.
"What I find so puzzling is why the medical community isn't joining us with exuberance in solving this problem, instead of, frankly, fighting us when we try to limit the number of pills that are distributed," Shumlin said.
Medical groups have resisted tougher state laws they say limit their ability to treat pain properly.
But even conservative Maine Gov. Paul LePage signed a law limiting opiate amounts.
"It broke my heart to force them to do something," LePage said. "But the fact of the matter is, we have to do something."
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says he'll continue to implement expert suggestions to combat the opiate crisis.