The opioid crisis in the US has been fueled partially through the introduction by providers to patients of this category of drugs through healthcare settings, inadvertently laying the groundwork that could potentially lead to addiction. Recent efforts have been aimed at reducing use of opioids in medical and dental settings through reduced dosages, duration, and refills, as well as identifying alternative medications that can effectively manage pain while circumventing the potential for addiction. These efforts require as a first step change in provider behavior and can be facilitate through use of implementation science and associated strategies. Such strategies can be targeted at the state, healthcare system, or provider level. In this session we will present data on the effectiveness of a state-wide policy on opioid usage in reducing prescription rates among children in Tennessee, the impact that targeted interventions had on addressing residual outliers in this state, and forthcoming evidence-based guidelines & implementation strategies on pain management in dental settings supported by an FDA grant.