FDA Nominee Played Role In Pushing More Fentanyl Into Circulation, Critics Claim
Scott Gottlieb's part in getting Cephalon, a company that makes lollipops for cancer patients in extreme pain, more opioids lends itself to established concerns that the Trump administration's pick to head the Food and Drug Administration is too closely tied to the drug industry. In other news on the opioid epidemic, special schools are helping teens stay sober and the use of painkillers in the middle-aged and elderly is skyrocketing.
The Washington Post:
Nominee To Head FDA Joined Effort To Get A Drug Company More Fentanyl
In December 2006, Scott Gottlieb did something unusual for a deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration: He joined other FDA officials who tried to help a pharmaceutical company secure more fentanyl for a powerful painkiller product. The company, Cephalon, was running short of the opioid it put in a lollipop designed for the intense pain of some cancer patients, according to interviews and documents obtained by The Washington Post. But Cephalon was also under investigation at the time for illegally pushing doctors to prescribe the drug for other uses, from headaches to back pain. (Bernstein, 4/24)
The Associated Press:
Overcoming Opioids: Special Schools Help Teens Stay Clean
When Logan Snyder got hooked on pills after a prescription to treat pain from a kidney stone, she joined the millions already swept up in the nation's grim wave of addiction to opioid painkillers. She was just 14. Youth is a drawback when it comes to kicking drugs. Only half of U.S. treatment centers accept teenagers and even fewer offer teen-focused groups or programs. After treatment, adolescents find little structured support. They're outnumbered by adults at self-help meetings. Sober youth drop-in centers are rare. Returning to school means resisting offers to get high with old friends. (Johnson, 4/25)
The Wall Street Journal:
Opioid Use Soars Among Middle Aged And Elderly
Could your doctor be prescribing too many pain pills? The epidemic of opioid abuse sweeping the U.S. might seem like a distant phenomenon to the average middle-aged patient who is getting a joint replacement, visiting an emergency room or seeking help with persistent pain from a primary-care physician. (Landro, 4/23)
Meanwhile, in the states —
The Baltimore Sun:
Authorities Brace For More Overdoses After Maryland Deaths Linked To Elephant Sedative
Health and law enforcement officials around the state are bracing for an uptick in drug overdoses as a deadly synthetic opioid only meant for use in large animals has hit Maryland streets. The drug, carfentanil, already has been linked to two overdose deaths in Anne Arundel County and one in Frederick County. The drug is so potent it was never meant for use in humans and is normally used as a tranquilizer for elephants, hippos and other large animals. (McDaniels, 4/24)
Miami Herald:
Opioid Drugs Stolen At Miami, Other Florida VA Medical Centers
Hundreds of doses of fentanyl and other powerful prescription drugs have been lost or stolen from five Florida Veterans Affairs hospitals and other facilities, including the Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center in Miami, according to federal officials. Many of the drugs were lost or stolen after being sent by mail to veterans, but at least two employees at Florida VA medical centers were implicated in the missing drugs — including a Miami VA medical center nurse who was allowed to resign instead of being fired. (Chang, 4/24)
Minnesota Public Radio:
AG Swanson Encourages Minnesotans To Get Rid Of Unwanted Painkillers, Other Meds
Minnesotans can drop off unwanted prescription medicine free and anonymously Saturday at a record number of designated sites around the state. More than 90 law enforcement agencies at 114 locations will collect unwanted painkillers and other medications as part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. (Sapong, 4/24)
St. Louis Public Radio:
Data Privacy Concerns May Keep Jefferson County From Tracking Opioid Prescriptions
Two bills that would have established a drug monitoring database in Jefferson County failed during a Monday night meeting of the County Council. The council heard two competing bills that would have allowed the county to join the local prescription tracking system set up by St. Louis County. (Bouscaren, 4/24)
