Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Look At Who's Joining Chris Christie On Trump's Opioid Commission
Stat: White House Names New Members Of Opioid Commission
Two governors, a former congressman in recovery, and an addiction researcher are set to join New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on President Trump’s opioid panel. The White House announced Wednesday that the president intended to appoint Republican Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts and Democratic Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina to the Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. (Joseph, 5/10)
The Hill: Trump Appoints Opioid Commission
Membership includes officials known for their work on issued related to prescription painkillers and heroin. The list includes Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.), Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.), Gov. Charlie Baker (R-Mass.), former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) and Bertha Madras. (Roubein, 5/10)
NH Times Union: HHS Secretary Gets Granite State View Of Opioid Crisis, And An Earful On Proposed Funding Cuts
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price got an earful about New Hampshire’s opioid crisis at a “listening session” in the State House on Wednesday that was also attended by presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway and hosted by Gov. Chris Sununu. Afterward, Price tried to deflect concerns about proposed cuts in the Office of National Drug Policy and the impact of the Republican health care plan on efforts to combat addiction. (Solomon, 5/10)
Concord Monitor: Protesters Greet U.S. DHHS Secretary Tom Price As He Denies Cut In Drug Fight Money
At a stop in Concord for a “listening session” on the opioid epidemic, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price pushed back on the notion that there is less money going to fight the drug crisis under the Trump administration, amid news of dramatic budget cuts to the office of the national “drug czar.”...Outside the press conference, dozens of protesters laid in the State House halls like corpses, meant to symbolize the growing death toll in the state from drug overdoses. Price avoided the protesters by entering the Executive Council chambers through a back door. (Nisen, 5/10)
Stat: FDA Suggests Doctors Learn About Acupuncture For Pain Management
Chiropractors and acupuncturists who have lobbied for a bigger role in treating pain have won a preliminary endorsement from federal health officials. The Food and Drug Administration released proposed changes Wednesday to its blueprint on educating health care providers about treating pain. The guidelines now recommend that doctors get information about chiropractic care and acupuncture as therapies that might help patients avoid prescription opioids. (Thielking, 5/10)
And in news from the states —
WBUR: Opioid Overdose Deaths In Mass. Reach Grim Milestone: More Than 2,000 Died In 2016
The latest overdose numbers, released by the Department of Public Health Wednesday, anticipate a grim milestone for Massachusetts. The state is projecting that the number of deaths caused by opioid overdoses topped 2,000 in 2016 for the first time. (Bebinger, 5/10)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Ready To Get Off Opioids? How To Make Recovery Stick
There are a couple of things that everyone should know about recovery from addiction: It takes a village. And it takes a lifetime. Viewed that way, the failures, the repeat admissions, the relapses, are bumps on the road — although when a bump involves opioids, it can quickly turn into a fatal overdose. Keep in mind the big picture if you are trying to help a friend or loved one recover from opioid addiction.It also is important to remember that there are numerous paths to success. Still, experts we spoke with say there are some basic tips that may help you and your loved ones find a route to recovery, and stay on it. (Sapatkin, 5/11)
Tampa Bay Times: Born Exposed To Drugs, What Chance Did He Have? One Mom Risked Finding Out
Since 2000, the number of babies born in withdrawal has grown more than five-fold. This is largely because doctors have been more likely to prescribe opioids to pregnant women for pain, and more women have abused prescription drugs and turned to opioid-substitution programs for treatment, write researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine. (LaPeter Anton, 5/11)
The Associated Press: Head Of Ring That Dealt Heroin On Reservations Gets 25 Years
The leader of a drug trafficking ring that brought heroin to Minnesota and North Dakota Indian reservations was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison. Omar Sharif Beasley, 39, was among 41 people charged in the drug trafficking case in which he and others brought heroin from Midwest cities like Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis to the Red Lake and White Earth reservations in Minnesota and to Native American communities in North Dakota, prosecutors said. (5/10)
