Pharmacist viewpoint: Punishing retailers for opioid crisis...
Walmart proposed a $3.1 billion settlement for its pharmacies' role in opioid abuse, and the move has one independent pharmacist worried about unintended consequences, CBS affiliate KTVQ reported Nov. 16.
View ArticleNovel extended-release local anesthetic reduces both postoperative pain and...
Managing postoperative pain requires physicians to strike a challenging balance between reducing pain through use of local anesthetics — which largely lose effectiveness beyond 24 hours — and...
View ArticleTeva, Allergan settle opioid cases for $6.6B
Teva Pharmaceuticals and AbbVie's Allergan followed the lead of retail pharmacy chains to allot billions of dollars to settle nationwide opioid lawsuits, according to North Carolina Attorney General...
View ArticleWhite House unveils dashboard to track opioid overdoses
The White House on Dec. 8 launched a dashboard to track nonfatal opioid overdoses at the state and county level, offering those on the front line of the opioid epidemic a better look at the hardest-hit...
View ArticleCVS, Walgreens finalize opioid dispute settlement for $10.7B
CVS Health and Walgreens have agreed to pay a total of $10.7 billion to settle opioid disputes, NBC News reported Dec. 12.
View ArticleHHS seeks permanent flexibilities for opioid use disorder treatment
The Biden Administration is looking to permanently adopt loosened, pandemic-era rules designed to increase access to two treatments for opioid use disorder.
View ArticleNew Mexico reaches $132M settlement with CVS, Walmart and Albertsons over...
New Mexico reached a net $132 million agreement with CVS, Walmart and Albertsons over allegations the retail giants reaped large profits from selling addictive opioids to patients, the Albuquerque...
View Article1 Pennsylvania ZIP code saw 885% hike in buprenorphine use
The 155 ZIP code, which encompasses Somerset, Pa., noted an 885 percent increase in hospitals and pharmacies dispensing one opioid use disorder treatment from 2010 to 2020, one study found.
View ArticlePhysicians struggle to treat patients who lace opioids with animal tranquilizer
Physicians aren't sure how to treat the growing number of patients who take opioids laced with xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, because of its slim number of withdrawal treatments, The Philadelphia...
View ArticleMetroHealth installs naloxone vending machines
Cleveland-based MetroHealth Medical Center recently installed a vending machine with naloxone — an opioid overdose antidote — condoms, wound care kits, fentanyl test strip kits and sharps containers.
View Article5 recent opioid settlements ranging from $83M to $10.7B
Here are five recent opioid cases, all of which settled for or have proposed settlements of at least $83 million:
View ArticleOpioid prescribing at ED discharge declines, CDC data shows
Fewer patients are leaving emergency departments with opioid prescriptions, a continuation of a trend that began a decade ago, according to CDC data brief released Jan. 19.
View ArticleFDA panel votes 'yes' on OTC naloxone nasal spray
In a 19-0 vote on Feb. 15, an FDA advisory panel recommended the agency allow Narcan (naloxone) nasal spray, a product used to reduce or reverse opioid overdoses, to be sold over the counter.
View ArticlePDMPs limit our nation’s response to the opioid epidemic
Well-intentioned programs can be outgrown by progress in others. That’s a good thing—if we acknowledge shortcomings and move forward.
View ArticlePain patients struggle to get opioid prescriptions despite rule relaxations
The CDC recently updated its opioid recommendations, but advocates worry the move is too little, too late for millions of Americans in chronic pain struggling to get prescriptions, CNN reported March 17.
View ArticleHawaii physician charged with unlawful opioid distribution
A Hawaii physician was arrested and charged with four counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances after providing prescriptions to an undercover federal agent he met in a restaurant.
View ArticleFDA mandates new labeling for all opioid medications
Opioid medications will now be required to have updated warning labels and safety information, according to a new mandate from the FDA.
View ArticleImproving outcomes for MAT patients by keeping medication secure
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs are a clinically effective approach for treating substance use disorders.
View ArticleExperts knock price of over-the-counter Narcan
Emergent BioSolutions said it will aim to keep the cost of over-the-counter Narcan under $50 — a figure some health experts say is still too high, The Washington Post reported April 20.
View ArticleFatal fentanyl overdoses up 279% since 2016
More Americans are dying from fentanyl overdoses. Since 2016 alone, the death toll attributed to the drug has risen just shy of 300 percent, according to the CDC.
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