Jun 12 Medicare drug plans favor generic opioids over those designed to avoid abuse, study finds By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News The abuse of prescription painkillers is a growing problem for seniors, as it is for other age groups. But Medicare drug plans are cutting back on coverage for a specially designated type of painkiller that deters abuse in favor of… Continue reading
Jun 10 Watch 7:03 Powerful new class of cholesterol drugs offers hope for some patients By PBS News Hour More than 30 million Americans take statins to lower their cholesterol, according to estimates. But these popular drugs don't work for everyone. Now the FDA may be poised to approve a powerful new class of drugs that can attack cholesterol… Continue watching
May 18 This genetically modified yeast can now brew morphine By Nsikan Akpan Biologists have created strains of yeast that can brew morphine from sugar, opening the door for cheaper medicine but also easy-to-make illicit drugs. Continue reading
Jan 22 Meth-laden drone crashes over Mexico-U.S. border By Anna Sillers Six pounds of methamphetamine were found taped to the drone, using a combination of “plastic webbing and strings of black tape."… Continue reading
Dec 19 Nebraska, Oklahoma sue Colorado over legalized marijuana By Corinne Segal The two states say it is difficult for them to enforce a federal ban on marijuana with the drug entering their borders from neighboring Colorado. Continue reading
Dec 05 Talking drug policy, Sen. Paul hints he used marijuana in his youth By Associated Press Paul, who announced plans this week to seek re-election to the Senate in 2016 and is actively exploring whether to run for president, said he "wasn't a choir boy" when asked by Louisville television station WHAS if he had used… Continue reading
Nov 17 Watch 6:05 DEA investigates use of painkillers to keep NFL players in the game By PBS News Hour National Football League teams were hit with surprise federal inspections on Sunday as part of an ongoing investigation of prescription drug abuse, tied to a lawsuit brought by former players. Jeffrey Brown talks to Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post,… Continue watching
Oct 31 Watch 3:42 Case of the missing student activists underscores dangerous corruption in Mexico – Part 2 By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Oct 04 U.S. heroin overdose deaths more than double in two years By Rialda Zukic The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday that heroin-related overdoses more than doubled from 2010 to 2012. Continue reading
Sep 23 National Institute of Health will examine ‘effect of sex’ in preclinical testing By Ashira Morris Preclinical scientific research is done primarily on male subjects. This inequality obscures results and can be dangerous for women, who experience both illness and treatment differently than men. Continue reading