Purdue Pharma, the company that makes the opioid painkiller OxyContin, has filed for bankruptcy, CNN reports. The filing is part of the company’s plan to settle litigation involving more than 2,000 cases brought by states, counties, municipalities and Native American governments. The plaintiffs in those cases say Purdue Pharma fueled the opioid…
Co-prescribing naloxone in Medicare Part D increases
The practice of co-prescribing the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone to Medicare Part D patients who take opioids for chronic pain increased between 2016 and 2017, though such co-prescriptions were provided to only a small minority of patients who might benefit, according to research led by scientists at the National…
More States Say Doctors Must Offer Overdose Reversal Drug Along With Opioids
In a growing number of states, patients who get opioids for serious pain may leave their doctors’ offices with a second prescription — for naloxone, a drug that can save their lives if they overdose on the powerful painkillers. New state laws and regulations in California, Virginia, Arizona, Ohio, Washington, Vermont and Rhode Island require physicians to “co-prescribe” or…
New opioid treatment resources for emergency department clinicians
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) today announced the availability of informational resources for clinicians interested in initiating buprenorphine treatment in emergency department settings. Buprenorphine is one of several medicines available for use in many emergency departments to treat opioid use disorders (OUD). The materials were developed by emergency…
Surgeon General Releases Report on Ways to Prevent, Talk About Addiction
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams released a report Thursday that recommends ways families, doctors, educators and business leaders can talk about and prevent addiction, according to The Washington Times. The “Spotlight” report urges companies to reduce work-related injuries that could lead to opioid misuse, and encourages family members to carry naloxone and…