Health Jul 31 Almost half of all opioid misuse starts with a friend or family member’s prescription By Roni Dengler
Nation Oct 31 Opioid poisoning tripled among toddlers as U.S. painkiller crisis ballooned A study published Monday highlights a surprising group of patients suffering from opioid poisoning: adolescents, children and even toddlers. By Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News
Health Sep 30 This photo shows exactly why Fentanyl is deadlier than heroin Fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is up to 100 times more potent than morphine and many times that of heroin. By ALLISON BOND, STAT
Science Sep 29 If DEA blocks kratom, promising research on opioid alternative may suffer Kratom, a compound from a Southeast Asian tree, offers hope for a safer opioid alternative, but research could slow to a crawl as the DEA steps in. By Angus Chen, Scientific American
Health May 21 Watch Prescriptions for opioids decline amid epidemic Nearly 30,000 deaths a year can be attributed to the abuse of heroin and prescription painkillers - opioids like oxycontin, vicodin, percocet, and methadone. But a new report indicates that opioid prescriptions in the last three years have declined. New… By PBS NewsHour
Apr 06 Rethinking the use of medication in opioid addiction treatment By Anna Gorman, Kaiser Health News Drug treatment providers in California and elsewhere have relied for decades on abstinence and therapy to treat addicts. In recent years, they’ve turned to medication. Continue reading
Mar 15 CDC: Opioid painkillers shouldn’t be first choice for chronic pain By Ed Silverman, STAT After months of controversy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday published prescribing guidelines to address the epidemic of deaths and overdoses attributed to opioid painkillers. Continue reading
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