Mar 26 What Purdue Pharma’s settlement with Oklahoma means for the opioid crisis By Laura Santhanam Here's a breakdown of how significant the $270 million settlement is in the context of the nation's continued struggle with opioids, overdoses and need for harm reduction and treatment. Continue reading
Mar 15 Will fewer opioid prescriptions help kick the crisis? By Laura Santhanam Of all physicians, primary care doctors most frequently doled out first-time opioid prescriptions, suggested a study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Continue reading
Feb 15 Drug company used rap video to push for higher fentanyl doses and sales By Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press The video is the latest eyebrow-raising piece of evidence in the trial, which has put a spotlight on the federal government's efforts to go after those it says are responsible for fueling the deadly drug crisis. Continue reading
Jan 01 Watch 7:06 Will drug companies be held accountable for America’s opioid epidemic? The nation’s opioid crisis was declared a public health emergency in 2017 and received new funding this past October. But rampant addiction led to some 40,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. last year, and 2019 could see the culmination of… Continue watching
Dec 28 Art is a lifeline for this Appalachian community hit hard by opioids By Laura Santhanam This music workshop helps to keep two things alive -- the region’s arts and culture and residents' ability to recover from addiction. Continue reading
Nov 30 Michael Bloomberg’s charity donates $50 million to fight opioid epidemic By Associated Press Bloomberg Philanthropies said over the next three years it will help up to 10 states address the causes of opioid addiction and strengthen prevention and treatment programs. Continue reading
Oct 24 Watch 11:13 Trump signs opioid bill, father who lost son says we need a bigger ‘Band-aid’ On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a bill that will expand access to certain kinds of opioid treatment. Keith Humphreys, former drug policy advisor during the Obama and Bush administrations, and Gary Mendell, the CEO of an addiction recovery nonprofit,… Continue watching
Aug 14 Watch 9:17 A festering opioid crisis, worn-out families and ‘so much pain to process’ By Jeffrey Brown, Mike Fritz In “Dopesick,” journalist and author Beth Macy takes readers to the front lines of the opioid epidemic in Roanoke, Virginia, and other nearby communities, telling the story of grieving families, exhausted medical workers and convicted heroin dealers. Jeffrey Brown reports… Continue watching
May 08 Drug distributors missed suspicious opioid sales to West Virginia, lawmakers say By Alan Fram, Associated Press The responses by drug executives ranged from apologies to explanations to finger-pointing at the federal Drug Enforcement Administration for not doing enough in its role as overseer of sales of legally controlled substances. Continue reading
Apr 30 Watch 7:40 How an opioid addiction can eat your heart alive By Kay Colby, ideastream The pathway to deadly heart infections for people addicted to opioids often begins with a dirty needle or polluted drug. Special correspondent Kay Colby of Ideastream reports on a little-known problem with big consequences for patients and society as a… Continue watching