Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Single Pharmacy In A Tiny West Virginia Town Was Shipped 12.3 Million Doses Of Opioids Over 8-Year Period
The Washington Post: One Small Town, Two Drug Companies And 12.3 Million Doses Of Opioids
Two of the nation’s biggest drug distributors shipped 12.3 million doses of powerful opioids to a single pharmacy in a tiny West Virginia town over an eight-year period, a congressional committee revealed Thursday. The Family Discount Pharmacy in Mount Gay-Shamrock received the drugs from McKesson Corp. and Cardinal Health between 2006 and 2014, according to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The committee is investigating the sale of pills in West Virginia by wholesale drug distributors, which are required by law to monitor and report to the Drug Enforcement Administration suspicious purchase orders for opioids. When they do not, millions of pills can be diverted to users and dealers from a single pharmacy. (Bernstein and Zezima, 2/15)
The Associated Press: Bill Gives Parents ‘New Tool’ To Fight Child’s Addiction
One more day without treatment for a person struggling with opioids — as a Maryland delegate, a recovery expert and parents of children mired in addiction have said — could be the difference between life and death. A relatively recent spike in deaths related to the synthetic opioid fentanyl, its cousin carfentanil and ever-emerging variations of the two has emphasized the importance of getting addicts into treatment immediately, said Delegate Nic Kipke, R-Anne Arundel. (Mann, 2/15)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Bass Proposes Alternative Plan To Safe Injection Sites, Expungement Of Drug Records
Three weeks after Philadelphia officials announced they would encourage the opening of a safe injection site to combat the opioid overdose crisis, Councilwoman Cindy Bass has released a five-point plan aimed at exploring alternatives to the sites — and said the city should consider expunging the records of people convicted of low-level drug offenses. City officials said much of the plan was already included in their own task force’s plan to fight the opioid epidemic, and expungement of records would likely require a change in state or federal law. But the suggestion has gained steam in recent weeks among the site’s supporters and detractors alike. (Whelan, 2/15)
Arizona Republic: Arizona Health Committee Advances Bill To Legalize Needle Exchanges
A bill to decriminalize needle-exchange programs is advancing in the Arizona House of Representatives. Supporters call it an early, yet significant, legislative victory for advocates and experts who say the efforts are essential in combating injection-drug use and preventing the spread of blood-borne disease. (Pohl, 2/15)
