Jul 31 Watch 9:58 As opioid settlement money starts to flow in, states debate how best to use it By Cat Wise, Mike Fritz More than $50 billion in settlement funds from pharmaceutical companies that made and sold opioid painkillers will be paid out over the next 18 years to state and local governments across the country. But the debate around how this money… Continue watching
May 30 Ruling clears way for Purdue Pharma to settle opioid claims, protect owners from lawsuits By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York reversed a 2021 ruling that found bankruptcy court judges did not have the authority to shield from civil lawsuits members of the Sackler family who own Purdue and who have… Continue reading
May 24 DEA’s failure to punish drug distributor blamed in opioid crisis raises revolving door questions By Jim Mustian, Joshua Goodman, Associated Press The DEA has allowed one of the nation's largest drug distributors to keep shipping addictive painkillers for nearly four years despite a judge's recommendation to strip its license for turning a blind eye to thousands of suspicious opioid orders. Continue reading
Mar 29 Narcan just got over-the-counter approval. Here’s what you need to know By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved selling naloxone without a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing drug on course to become the first opioid treatment drug to be sold over the counter. Continue reading
Mar 20 State lawmakers consider harsher penalties for fentanyl possession By Gabe Stern, James Pollard, Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press Proponents say prosecutors and police need more tools to help with the fight because fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are so deadly. But other advocates worry harsher penalties will result in even more dangerous drug supplies and punish people who… Continue reading
Feb 17 How harm reduction advocates are working to prevent fentanyl overdose deaths By Nicole Ellis, Casey Kuhn, Rachel Liesendahl In his address, Biden called for “strong penalties to crack down on fentanyl trafficking” — a line that garnered bipartisan applause during his State of the Union address. But the call drew criticism from harm reduction advocates who say a… Continue reading
Dec 22 Watch 6:47 U.S. life expectancy falls to lowest level since mid-1990s due to COVID and drug overdoses By William Brangham There is grim news about the state of America's health. The average expected lifespan for a person in this country shrank by over seven months last year, according to the CDC. That comes after an even steeper decline in 2020. Continue watching
Nov 15 Walmart offers to pay $3.1 billion to settle opioid epidemic lawsuits By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press Walmart has agreed to pay $3.1 billion to settle lawsuits nationwide over the impact of the prescriptions its pharmacies filled for powerful prescription opioid painkillers. Continue reading
Aug 10 Judge says Walgreens contributed to San Francisco’s opioid crisis By Juliet Williams, Associated Press A federal judge has ruled that Walgreens can be held responsible for contributing to San Francisco's opioid crisis for over-dispensing opioids for years without proper oversight. Continue reading
Jul 19 Watch 6:47 Why overdose deaths spiked among people of color during the pandemic A CDC report finds overdose deaths rose significantly for people of color from 2019 to 2020. The synthetic opioid fentanyl is largely to blame, combined with a disruption in treatment and prevention programs during the pandemic. Dr. Edwin Chapman, who… Continue watching