opioids

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price contradicted his agency's online information about the efficacy of medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction.

Price's Remarks On Opioid Treatment Were Unscientific And Damaging, Experts Say

5:59pm May 16, 2017

by Jake Harper

Nearly 700 experts signed a letter to HHS Secretary Tom Price asking that he correct remarks in which he called medication-assisted treatment for addiction "substituting one opioid for another."

Health & Safety

Governor's Report: Opioid Deaths Surge In Forsyth County

12:17pm May 16, 2017

by Sean Bueter

Forsyth County had the largest increase among urban counties in opioid-related deaths between 2005 and 2015, according to a report released Monday by Gov. Roy Cooper's office.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price says "We're losing as a nation," when it comes to opioid abuse.

Communities Key To Fighting Opioid Crisis, HHS Secretary Says

9:23am May 12, 2017

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price is touring communities that have been hit hard by painkiller overdoses and heroin. He says, when it comes to opioid abuse, "We're losing as a nation."

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Tops to prescription bottles are pictured inside the Wal-Mart pharmacy.

Cherokee Nation Sues Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens Over Tribal Opioid Crisis

8:58pm April 25, 2017

by Nate Hegyi

The tribe says these companies regularly filled large, suspicious prescriptions within the Nation's 14 counties in northeastern Oklahoma, leading to hundreds of tribal members' deaths.

Dr. James Baker holds a photo of his son, Max, who had been sober for more than a year and was in college when he relapsed after surgery and died of a heroin overdose.

How Do Former Opioid Addicts Safely Get Pain Relief After Surgery?

8:58am April 20, 2017

by Craig LeMoult

Max Baker got treatment for his opioid dependency and kicked the habit. He'd been clean for more than a year when a car accident and subsequent surgery returned him to addiction's spiral.

Hannah Berkowitz in her parents' home in West Hartford, Conn. Getting intensive in-home drug treatment is what ultimately helped her get back on track, she and her mom agree.

Home-Based Drug Treatment Program Costs Less And Works

5:42pm April 17, 2017

by Jack Rodolico

Treating addiction is expensive and patients often relapse. A new company is offering better results at a price that's lower in the long run — and clients get treatment right at home.

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Emergency Room Doctors Are Picking Noses — For Drug Delivery, That Is

4:58pm April 05, 2017

by Jessica Boddy

Nasal versions of sedatives and overdose drugs are increasingly popular in emergency departments. Doctors like that they act quickly and don't require an IV to administer.

The National Institutes of Health is based in Bethesda, Md., but the vast majority of its research funding flows to universities around the country.

Trump Administration Proposes Big Cuts In Medical Research

3:32pm March 16, 2017

The National Institutes of Health, which funds research in treatments and cures, could lose 20 percent of its budget under the administration's proposal. More money would go for addiction treatment.

Opana ER was reformulated to make it harder to crush and snort, but people abusing the drug turned to injecting it instead. And that fueled an HIV outbreak in Indiana.

Dangers Of Opana Opioid Painkiller Outweigh Benefits, FDA Panel Says

9:37am March 16, 2017

by Tom Dreisbach

Opana ER has been linked to an HIV outbreak in rural Indiana among people who abuse the opioid painkiller. An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration says the drug is too risky.

A new poll out by Truven looks at how people feel about narcotic painkillers.

POLL: More People Are Taking Opioids, Even As Their Concerns Rise

5:00am March 03, 2017

by Jessica Boddy

The number of people who have used opioid painkillers is still rising, according to a new NPR-Truven Health Analytics poll. But they're also worried about addiction, overdose and side effects.