opioids

Ashley Copeland (right) talks to her mom Sue Iverson in the Swedish Medical Center emergency department, near Denver. Copeland got a nerve-blocking anesthetic instead of opioids to ease her severe headache. At discharge she was advised to use over-the-cou

These 10 ERs Sharply Reduced Opioid Use And Still Eased Pain

11:18am February 23, 2018

by John Daley

Collaboration was key for the 10 emergency rooms that cut opioid prescriptions by 36 percent. Doctors say they now use less addictive medicines to manage pain and have shifted patients' expectations.

A young man uses heroin under a bridge in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, a neighborhood that has become a hub for heroin use. The economic costs of the epidemic are mounting, researchers say, as the U.S. loses more and more workers in their prime

Cost Of U.S. Opioid Epidemic Since 2001 Is $1 Trillion And Climbing

1:05pm February 13, 2018

by Greg Allen

Economists tracking federal mortality data say the opioid crisis is undercutting the productivity of people in their prime working years — 30s and 40s.

The revelation that a favorite uncle had died from a long-hidden drug habit shook Dr. Andrey Ostrovsky to his core. Last month Ostrovksy quit his job as Medicaid's chief medical officer and joined a group that's working to dispel the shame of addiction.

An Uncle's Overdose Spurs Medicaid Official To Change Course

3:44pm January 26, 2018

by Emmarie Huetteman

Dr. Andrey Ostrovsky, until recently chief medical officer for Medicaid, quit his job to more directly fight the stigma of addiction — a stigma that made his beloved uncle afraid to ask for help.

A needle exchange program at the Austin Community Outreach Center in Austin, Ind., is aimed at stopping spread of HIV.

Mapping How The Opioid Epidemic Sparked An HIV Outbreak

6:00am January 14, 2018

by Heather Boerner

Researchers knew the HIV outbreak in the small town of Austin, Ind., was related to IV drug use. Mapping how the virus mutated over time revealed its path — and how it might have been stopped.

MaryJane Sarvis, an artist in Shaftsbury, Vt., weaned herself from the opioid painkillers she was prescribed for chronic nerve pain. "I felt tired all the time and I was still in pain," she says. Marijuana works better for her, but costs $200 per month ou

The High Cost Of Medical Marijuana Causes Pain In Vermont

7:27pm January 11, 2018

by Emily Corwin

Though medical marijuana is legal in most states, some patients still have a hard time affording it. The federal government won't allow states to cover medical marijuana with Medicaid dollars.

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Proponents of medically supervised, indoor sites for opioid injection say such places would be much safer than tent encampments like this one — and could help people addicted to opioids transition into treatment and away from drug use.

Desperate Cities Consider 'Safe Injection' Sites For Opioid Users

12:17pm January 10, 2018

by Bobby Allyn

Opioids were a main driver in roughly 1,200 drug overdose deaths in Philadelphia last year. That's four times the city's murder rate. It's time, some officials say, to supervise, not criminalize.

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Michelle Leavy surrounded by her three sons. She became addicted to opioids when she was discharged from the hospital with doctors' advice to use them for her pain after a cesarean section. She is now in recovery.

Hospitals Brace Patients For Pain To Reduce Risk Of Opioid Addiction

4:11pm January 09, 2018

by Blake Farmer

As hospitals assess their role in the opioid crisis, some are trying to change patient expectations by warning them to expect some pain. Doctors in those hospitals are prescribing fewer opioids.

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Terry Lilly, then 36, of Charleston, W.Va., almost a year ago when he was first interviewed by NPR's Sarah McCammon.

After Drug Treatment, Men In Recovery Work To Live A 'Normal Life'

11:05pm December 26, 2017

by Sarah McCammon

For NPR's "Kitchen Table" series exploring issues from the 2016 presidential campaign, we revisit Huntington, W. Va., and follow up with three men in recovery from opioid addiction.

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Lauren Kafka rented a machine that delivered cold water and compression to manage pain after rotator cuff surgery. Her insurance company said it wasn't medically necessary and refused to pay for it.

Health & Safety

The Insurance Company Paid For Opioids, But Not Cold Therapy

10:52am November 25, 2017

by Lauren Kafka

It seemed like such a good idea: Use cold therapy to reduce the need for opioid painkillers after shoulder surgery. But this woman's insurance company said no dice.

The herbal supplement kratom is marketed as a treatment for a wide variety of health problems.

FDA Warns About Dangers Of 'Natural' Opioid Kratom

4:20pm November 14, 2017

by Rob Stein

The Food and Drug Administration says there's not enough proof that the herbal supplement kratom works for opioid withdrawal and other conditions. It also says kratom can cause health problems.