Apr 24 Watch 6:14 How federal case against drug distributor could change opioid fight Amid the ongoing opioid epidemic, drug manufacturers, doctors and pharmacists have all come under fire. But it's a drug distributor, a company called RDC, at the center of a new federal criminal case that equates its business operations with illegal… Continue watching
Feb 10 Schumer announces fentanyl sanctions bill before China talks By Michael Balsamo, Associated Press The Senate’s top Democrat is introducing legislation to “hold China accountable” and sanction laboratories and other traffickers who export fentanyl to the United States. Continue reading
Dec 23 Opinion: ‘Passive’ fentanyl exposure: more myth than reality By Lewis S. Nelson, Jeanmarie Perrone Reports that merely being in a room with fentanyl, a powerful opioid, or its analogues can poison you don't match the action and effects of these drugs. Continue reading
Nov 10 HHS recommended that the DEA make kratom a Schedule I drug, like LSD or heroin By Ike Swetlitz, STAT The Department of Health and Human Services asserted in a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration that two chemicals in kratom should be classified as Schedule I substances, meaning that the chemicals have “a high potential for abuse” and that… Continue reading
Aug 15 The year after childbirth is the deadliest for addicted women By Christine Vestal, Stateline Growing evidence suggests that women should receive continuous medical attention during what is now called the “fourth trimester” — a period lasting at least a year after childbirth. Continue reading
Aug 04 Poison control calls spike for unapproved drug that produces opioid-like highs By Megan Thielking, STAT Calls to U.S. poison control centers about an unapproved antidepressant that has opioid-like effects have climbed dramatically since 2015, according to a new analysis published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continue reading
Jun 07 White House launches anti-opioid ad campaign aimed at youth By Ken Thomas, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The White House launched a series of new advertisements Thursday aimed at warning young people about the dangers of opioids, taking another step in the effort to turn the tide against the deadly epidemic. Continue reading
Apr 04 Places with legal marijuana issue fewer opioid prescriptions, large studies find By Kate Sheridan, STAT An analysis of more than five years of Medicare Part D and Medicaid prescription data found that after states legalized weed, the number of opioid prescriptions and the daily dose of opioids went way down. Continue reading
Mar 17 Hospitals are confronting a new opioid crisis: an alarming shortage of pain meds By Casey Ross, STAT Production of injectable opioids has nearly ground to a halt due to manufacturing problems, creating a shortage of staple medications used to treat a wide array of patients. Continue reading
Dec 15 Teens don’t always know what they’re vaping, study says By Michael Rios The study, called Monitoring the Future, was released Thursday by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan. It surveyed more than 43,000 eighth, 10th and 12th graders across the country in early 2017 about their… Continue reading