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Drugmakers not liable for opioid crisis in California, judge rules
A California judge on Nov. 1 ruled that four drugmakers cannot be held liable for the state's opioid crisis, according to NPR. -
HHS unveils new overdose prevention strategy
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced Oct. 27 a new overdose prevention strategy that is designed to boost access to care for those with substance use disorders and their families. -
Naloxone shortage could lead to thousands of avoidable overdose deaths
A shortage of Pfizer's lifesaving overdose reversal drug naloxone could precipitate a surge in overdose deaths, North Carolina Health News reported Oct. 22. -
Buprenorphine misuse on the decline, study finds
Buprenorphine misuse in the U.S. has trended downward over four years, according to a National Institutes of Health study published in JAMA Network Open. -
Overdose deaths at new high, CDC data show
More than 96,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending in March, marking a new record high, according to preliminary CDC data released Oct. 13. -
Tele-MAT Provides Light at the End of the Opioid Tunnel
Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson just signed an agreement[1] with the state of New York in June to settle all of the state’s claims against the company related to the opioid epidemic in exchange for $263 million in funding for addiction treatment and related matters. This crucial development comes after a broader $5 billion settlement[2] between the company and many other states, and J&J’s own decision to stop selling opioids[3] altogether. -
Pharmacy chains face 1st federal opioid trial: 7 things to know
Four pharmacy chains are appearing in a federal courtroom in Cleveland on Oct. 4, marking the first time such companies have testified about their role in the country's opioid crisis. -
Three pharma distributors to pay $75M to Cherokee Nation in opioid settlement
AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson said Sept. 28 they will pay a collective $75 million to the Cherokee Nation to settle opioid litigation. -
DEA issues rare alert as streets flooded by fake pills laced with fentanyl, meth
The Drug Enforcement Administration on Sept. 27 issued its first safety alert in six years, warning about an "alarming increase" in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. -
Methamphetamine overdose deaths nearly tripled in 4 years, NIH study finds
Overdose deaths involving methamphetamine nearly tripled between 2015 and 2019 in people ages 18 to 64, according to a study published Sept. 22 in JAMA Psychiatry. -
OD deaths persist despite drop in opioid prescriptions, AMA says
Opioid prescriptions fell 44.4 percent in the last decade, but the number of drug-related overdoses and deaths continued to increase, according to a report from the American Medical Association released Sept. 21. -
Justice Department appeals Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan
A division of the Justice Department filed an appeal Sept. 15 to block Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy plan, which was approved by a federal bankruptcy judge Sept. 1, NPR reported. -
Opioid deaths rising faster in Black community than other racial, ethnic groups, study finds
Opioid related deaths are rising much faster in the Black population than other racial and eithnic groups, a study published Sept. 9 in The American Journal of Public Health found. -
Judge approves Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy plan
Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy plan was approved by a federal judge Sept. 1, meaning the company that made and marketed the opioid Oxycontin will be dissolved, The New York Times reported. -
Benzodiazepine-related overdoses on the rise, CDC says
The U.S. experienced a spike in benzodiazepine-related overdoses in 2020, particularly in overdoses that involved illicit benzodiazepines such as etizolam and flubromazolam, according to a study released Aug. 26 by the CDC. -
Sacklers say they'll abandon opioids settlement if not granted legal immunity
The Sackler Family will pull out of Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy plan, which has been negotiated for two years and pledges $4.5 billion to combat the opioid epidemic, unless they are granted immunity from future opioid lawsuits, David Sackler, former board member, said in court Aug. 17. -
Nearly half of pediatric opioid prescriptions are high risk
Of the more than 4 million opioid prescriptions written for children and young adults under 21 in 2019, 45.6 percent fit high-risk patterns that could increase instances of misuse and overdose, according to a study published in the August 2021 issue of Pediatrics. -
Why addiction risk algorithms could be making the opioid crisis worse
The algorithms used by states' prescription monitoring systems sometimes block chronic pain sufferers from receiving opioids after inaccurately flagging them as potential addicts, Wired reported Aug. 11. -
Production issues have led to injectable naloxone shortage, Pfizer says
Production issues with Pfizer's injectable version of naloxone, a lifesaving overdose reversal drug, has caused a shortage of the drug, affecting healthcare providers across the country, The Boston Globe reported Aug. 2. -
Most Purdue Pharma creditors agree to bankruptcy plan
A majority of Purdue Pharma's more than 120,000 creditors have voted to approve the company's bankruptcy plan, The New York Times reported July 27.
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