opioid

Kentucky filed a lawsuit against Walgreens on Thursday for allegedly failing to adequately monitor its operations as it shipped and dispensed large quantities of opioids.

Kentucky Sues Walgreens For 'Dual Role' In The State's Opioid Crisis

9:20pm June 14, 2018

The lawsuit alleges the company fulfilled orders "for such large quantities of prescription narcotic pain medication that there could be no associated legitimate medical purpose for their use."

Politics & Government

Bill Would Give Police Access To Drug Database

11:46am June 11, 2018

by Paul Garber

Law enforcement officers would have access to a statewide database of some prescription drugs under a bill filed in the North Carolina legislature.

A pharmacist speaks with a customer at Walmart Neighborhood Market in Bentonville, Ark., in 2014. On Monday Walmart introduced a new set of guidelines for dispensing opioid medications.

Walmart Will Implement New Opioid Prescription Limits By End Of Summer

7:28pm May 08, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

The giant pharmacy chain introduced new rules restricting painkiller prescriptions to 7 days and putting a cap on dosage strength. Pharmacies will carry an overdose antidote wherever it's legal.

Amanda Williammee and her daughter Taycee. Now a happy preschooler, the little girl was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome — a condition that includes opioid withdrawal symptoms like tremors, irritability, sleep problems and high-pitched crying.

For Babies Of The Opioid Crisis, Best Care May Be Mom's Recovery

6:00pm May 08, 2018

by Sarah Jane Tribble

Early findings on infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome are reassuring, and doctors are optimistic that normal development can continue. Making sure parents are treated for addiction is key.

Documentary 'Original Body of Pain' Paints Compassionate Portrait Of Opioid Crisis

11:48am May 07, 2018

by Eddie Garcia

With the national opioid epidemic in the spotlight, two Winston-Salem filmmakers are focusing their lens on mothers.

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Melania Trump speaks with people during a visit to the Necker Hospital in Paris, on July 13, 2017.

In Traditional First-Lady Style, Melania Trump To Unveil Her Policy Goals

7:55am May 07, 2018

by Sarah McCammon

Melania Trump often stays on the sidelines. But Monday she's outlining her initiatives — at a moment when her husband is under intense scrutiny.

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Melodie Beckham (left), here with her daughter, Laura, had metastatic lung cancer and chose to stop taking medical marijuana after it failed to relieve her symptoms. She died a few weeks after this photo was taken.

Medical Marijuana's 'Catch-22': Limits On Research Hinder Patient Relief

8:20am April 07, 2018

Suffering Americans seek medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids and other powerful pharmaceuticals. Though legal in 29 states, doctors say the lack of strong data make it hard to recommend.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 15: U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill November 15, 2017 in Washington, DC. Adams testified about co

Health & Safety

Surgeon General Urges More Americans To Carry Opioid Antidote

10:24am April 05, 2018

The drug naloxone can reverse opioid overdoses and save lives. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams says more Americans should have naloxone on hand in case loved ones, friends or neighbors need help.

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Arlington, Mass., Police Chief Fred Ryan (right) and Inspector Gina Bassett review toxicology reports on cocaine evidence looking for the possibility of fentanyl.

Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine Becoming A Deadly Problem Among Drug Users

11:05am March 29, 2018

by Martha Bebinger

The powerful opioid fentanyl is showing up in batches of cocaine, threatening a new wave of opioid overdoses. Some doctors, drug users and law enforcement wonder if the contamination is deliberate.

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Mady Ohlman, who lives near Boston and has been sober for more than four years, says many drug users hit a point when the disease and the pursuit of illegal drugs crushes the will to live.

How Many Opioid Overdoses Are Suicides?

4:25pm March 28, 2018

by Martha Bebinger

Opioid overdoses and related deaths are still climbing, according to U.S. statistics. Teasing out which overdoses are intentional can be hard, but is important for treatment, doctors say.