People identifying as heterosexual are less likely to misuse opioids than those who have a different sexual orientation, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger has launched a surgical redesign program to improve pain management and reduce patient opioid use.

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation issued a report Nov. 15, illustrating the state of Massachusetts lost $15.2 billion due to the opioid epidemic and overdoses attributed to opioids, according to WBUR.

Philadelphia's spike in opioid overdoses has contributed to an increase in organ donations, according to CBS Philly.

Despite increased anti-overdosing campaigns, a large portion of pharmacies are not up to date with stocking the over-the-counter opioid overdose antidote naloxone, according to STAT.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham announced Nov. 13, its Computer Forensics Research Lab will partner with Facebook to monitor online violations of its community standards for illicit drug sales.

Higher quantity of opioid prescriptions may result in increased opioid consumption among patients after surgery, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery.

While U.S. overdose deaths attributable to opioid use continue to rise year after year, healthcare providers are working to combat the crisis by developing new strategies to limit post-surgical narcotic use in pain management. At one Virginia hospital, an innovative approach blending two distinct procedures is showing promising results with certain urological surgery patients.

With the increase of illicit drug use and overdoses, the emergency response drug naloxone should be made available over the counter, write Michael Hufford, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Harm Reduction Therapeutics and Donald Burke, MD, dean of Pittsburgh-based Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh,  in an op-ed published by STAT.

Researchers at the University of South Florida in Tampa conducted a study analyzing how opioid prescriptions affect children across different states.

Michigan surgical patients only take about one-quarter of their opioid prescriptions, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama will remove brand-name opioid OxyContin from its preferred drug list beginning Jan. 1, according to a news release obtained by NBC 15.

Mac Miller, a popular Pittsburgh-based rapper, died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol, according to a toxicology report released Nov. 5 by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

A study published in JAMA Network Open examined the patient-level factors associated with persistent opioid use among workers' compensation claimants.

The FDA announced its approval Nov. 2 of a new prescription opioid called Dsuvia, despite public and medical criticism for the drug's approval in the midst of the opioid epidemic, according to STAT.

New research has potentially tied opioid use to an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation.

For years, providers viewed opioids as the go-to pain therapy for patients. However, many hospitals are now rethinking pain management protocols amid the ongoing opioid epidemic.

New York City-based NYC Health + Hospitals now offers buprenorphine at adult medicine clinics in 18 community and hospital-based ambulatory care centers across the city, the health system annouced Nov. 1.

Amazon introduced a slate of initiatives targeted toward supporting patients with opioid use disorder Oct. 24, in honor of the opioid bill President Donald Trump recently signed into law.

The amount of infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome in rural areas is on the rise, according to research from Minneapolis-based University of Minnesota.