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.  

Stanwood, Wash., is responding to the opioid epidemic by mobilizing its Multi-Agency Coordination group, which is typically used to respond to natural disasters, according to NPR.

President Donald Trump signed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Oct. 24 to increase the country's opioid epidemic response efforts.

CMS on Oct. 23 introduced the Maternal Opioid Misuse model, which seeks to provide better care coordination for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid members with opioid use disorder.

Fatal drug overdoses have fallen nationwide over the last six months, according to a CDC report. However, health experts warn against early claims of the opioid and drug epidemic ending.

Most hospitals are leaning on EMRs to support their opioid management programs, according to a KLAS Research report.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy, Ad Council and Truth Initiative created a new drug prevention ad as part of the White House's "The Truth About Opioids" public awareness campaign, which targets young adults between ages 18 to 24.

First lady Melania Trump visited Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson Hospital Oct. 17 to speak at the National Convening on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome hosted by HHS.