U.S. prescription opioid dosage volume decreased 12 percent in 2017, representing the largest drop in more than 25 years, according to a report from the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science.  By Mackenzie Bean - 4/19/18

A study published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society examined the effects of the 2014 federal hydrocodone rescheduling policy on opioid use among the elderly.  By Anuja Vaidya - 4/18/18

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration released a proposed rule April 17 that would alter how the agency sets annual quotas for opioid manufacturing, according to The Hill.  By Mackenzie Bean - 4/18/18

In the midst of the nation's opioid crisis, scientists are developing an experimental vaccine that aims to treat addicted patients who would be at risk of death if they detoxified and then relapsed, according to The New York Times.  By Megan Knowles - 4/16/18

As the Trump administration works to combat opioid abuse, which includes a plan to implement the death penalty for drug traffickers, one of the administration's proposals involves expanding the use of medication to treat addiction, according to report from The Washington Post.  By Megan Knowles - 4/16/18

A study published in Spine examined the effects of preoperative opioid use on spinal deformity surgery outcomes.  By Anuja Vaidya - 4/16/18

The American Society of Addiction Medicine and the American Medical Association have developed an alternative payment model for the treatment of opioid use disorder.  By Kelly Gooch - 4/16/18

The federal judge from the Northern District of Ohio overseeing more than 400 opioid epidemic lawsuits set a March 2019 trial date for three of the cases, according to a report from Reuters. By Brian Zimmerman - 4/13/18

While a growing number of healthcare entities, states and regulatory bodies embrace limits for opioid prescriptions, the nation's largest and oldest physician group opposes such rules, categorizing them as arbitrary and potentially injurious to patients, according to an April 11 report from The Hill.  By Brian Zimmerman - 4/13/18

Medicare Part D beneficiaries in states with legalized medical marijuana are prescribed significantly fewer opioids than beneficiaries in states without medical marijuana laws, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. By Brian Zimmerman - 4/11/18

While the U.S.'s prescription opioid supply has declined since 2010, rates of fatal opioid overdoses have soared, suggesting illegal drug traffickers took advantage of the increased demand for illicit opioids amid declining access to prescription opioids, according to research conducted by the American Action Forum. By Brian Zimmerman - 4/11/18

Days after FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, criticized social media companies for not doing enough to prevent the sale of opioids, Facebook, the parent company of Instagram, has cracked down on hashtags relating to the drug, according to CBS News.  By Alia Paavola - 4/9/18

State Attorney General Pam Bondi said Florida will file a lawsuit against drugmakers and distributors for allegedly contributing to the state's opioid crisis, according to the Tampa Bay Times.  By Brian Zimmerman - 4/9/18

Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger reduced opioid prescriptions by more than 50 percent systemwide since 2012, according to a report from WHYY. By Brian Zimmerman - 4/9/18

CVS Health is working with Dublin -based drugmaker Adapt Pharma to provide uninsured patients coupons for Narcan. By Brian Zimmerman - 4/6/18

Medicaid funding for substance use disorder treatments could get a boost from lawmakers, according to The Hill.  By Kelly Gooch - 4/6/18

Forty-three percent of Americans say the prescription drug abuse is a serious issue, up 10 percent from 2016, according to a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.  By Anuja Vaidya - 4/6/18

Two police officers and an ambulance attendant were hospitalized at Holyoke (Mass.) Medical Center April 5 for fentanyl exposure after treating an overdose victim, reports MassLive.  By Mackenzie Bean - 4/6/18

United States Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, issued a national public health advisory April 6, urging opioid users — and their family and friends — to carry and learn how to administer the overdose-reversal drug naloxone.  By Brian Zimmerman - 4/6/18

Spending on opioid addiction and overdose treatment among people with coverage from large employers increased from $273 million in 2004 to $2.6 billion 2016, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.  By Kelly Gooch - 4/5/18