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…
OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma Agrees to Tentative Opioid Lawsuit Settlement
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma has reached a tentative settlement worth billions of dollars to resolve thousands of lawsuits brought by state and local governments who sued the drug company for its role in the opioid epidemic. At least 16 state attorneys general said they have not agreed to the deal, NBC…
Racial disparities in prescribing opioids for chronic pain
Yale researchers have identified racial disparities in the treatment of patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain. Black patients who receive opioids long-term are more likely than whites to be tested for illicit drug use. Of those who test positive, blacks are more likely to have their opioid prescriptions…
Cigna Will Stop Covering OxyContin in Effort to Reduce Inappropriate Use
Health insurer Cigna announced this week it will stop covering the prescription opioid OxyContin in an effort to reduce inappropriate use of the drug. Instead it will cover an equivalent drug less vulnerable to being misused. The alternate drug is Xtampza ER, made by Collegium Pharmaceutical Inc. Xtampza ER cannot…
American Indian Tribal Leaders Meet With Justice Department About Opioid Epidemic
The U.S. Justice Department is scheduled to meet with American Indian tribal leaders from northern New Mexico about the opioid epidemic, the Associated Press reports. Opioid addiction has had a large impact on American Indian communities across the country, the article notes. A survey by the National Institute on Drug…