opioid crisis

Health & Safety

How To Teach Future Doctors About Pain In The Midst Of The Opioid Crisis

1:08pm September 11, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Around 20% of U.S. adults live with chronic pain. Medical schools traditionally haven't dedicated much time to teaching about pain and pain control, but one top school now has a mandatory course.

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Supporters of safe injection sites in Philadelphia rallied outside this week's federal hearing. The judge's ultimate ruling will determine if the proposed "Safehouse" facility to prevent deaths from opioid overdose would violate the federal Controlled Sub

Trump Administration Is In Court To Block Nation's First Supervised Injection Site

6:03pm September 06, 2019

by Nina Feldman

Efforts to combat Philadelphia's opioid crisis with a supervised injection site could be stymied by a portion of federal law meant to protect neighborhoods during the crack epidemic of the 1980s.

Bags of heroin, some laced with fentanyl, picked up in a 2016 New York City drug bust. "Basically, [fentanyl] is so cheap to produce and it's so powerful, that drug dealers began realizing it was a way to increase their profits," Fentanyl, Inc. author Ben

Fentanyl As A Dark Web Profit Center, From Chinese Labs To U.S. Streets

2:51pm September 04, 2019

by Dave Davies

Fentanyl, Inc. author Ben Westhoff says the opioid, while useful in hospitals, is killing more Americans as a street drug than any other in U.S. history. Here's how it moves from China to your corner.

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State's attorney Brad Beckworth lays out one of his closing arguments in Oklahoma's case against drugmaker Johnson & Johnson at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Norman, Okla. in July. The judge in the case ruled Monday that J&J must pay $572 million to

Health & Safety

Oklahoma Wanted $17 Billion To Fight Its Opioid Crisis: What's The Real Cost?

8:18pm August 26, 2019

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The $572 million judgment against Johnson & Johnson will cover one year of addiction treatment and prevention the judge says. But health economists predict it will take decades to abate the problem.

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Nationally, drug overdose deaths reached record levels in 2017, when a group protested in New York City on Overdose Awareness Day on August 31. Deaths appear to have declined slightly in 2018, based on provisional numbers, but nearly 68,000 people still d

Health & Safety

U.S. Overdose Deaths Dipped In 2018, But Some States Saw 'Devastating' Increases

5:16pm July 18, 2019

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Provisional overdose data for 2018 show a note of hope in an overall bleak picture. But in some states, the numbers actually got worse. What explains the disparities?

Health & Safety

HepConnect Initiative Launches In Response To Rise In Hepatitis C

4:19pm June 13, 2019

by Bethany Chafin

A new statewide initiative will address the rise in hepatitis C cases in North Carolina.

Johnson & Johnson faces multiple lawsuits, including one over the opioid epidemic. A reputation for corporate responsibility, dating back to the Tylenol scandal, offers a measure of protection, but no guarantee, analysts say.

Health & Safety

Johnson & Johnson, Under Fire, Has Track Record Of Weathering Trouble

11:26am June 03, 2019

by Scott Horsley

The health care giant faces multiple lawsuits, including one over opioids. A reputation for corporate responsibility, dating back to the Tylenol scandal, offers some protection but no guarantee.

Teva Pharmaceuticals has reached a settlement with the state of Oklahoma over its alleged role in fueling the opioid epidemic. In March, drugmaker Purdue Pharma agreed to a $270 million settlement.

National

Teva Pharmaceuticals Agrees To $85 Million Settlement With Oklahoma In Opioid Case

5:05pm May 26, 2019

by Shannon Van Sant

Oklahoma's attorney general had filed a lawsuit against the Israel-based company for its alleged role in fueling the opioid crisis.

Former Rochester Drug Co-Operative CEO Laurence Doud III, facing criminal charges stemming from the opioid crisis, leaves the federal courthouse in Manhattan on Tuesday.

Drug Distributor And Former Execs Face First Criminal Charges In Opioid Crisis

9:43pm April 23, 2019

by Richard Gonzales

A DEA official said the indictments are meant to send "shock waves" through the pharmaceutical industry to remind it of its responsibility to help control prescription medications.

Susan Stevens shows off a prescription for Suboxone her daughter filled the day before she died at her home in Lewisville, N.C. March 11.

National

Opioid Maker Charged With Fraud In Marketing Drug As Less Prone To Abuse

9:56am April 10, 2019

by Brian Mann

British drug maker Indivior faces felony charges after allegedly trying to falsely convince doctors that its opioid products were safer than cheaper generic alternatives.