Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Had African American Patients Been Prescribed Opioids At Same Level As White Ones, 14,000 More Would Have Died
The New York Times: 14,000 Lives: ‘Rare Case Where Racial Biases’ Protected Blacks
When the opioid crisis began to escalate some 20 years ago, many African-Americans had a layer of protection against it. But that protection didn’t come from the effectiveness of the American medical system. Instead, researchers believe, it came from racial stereotypes embedded within that system. As unlikely as it may seem, these negative stereotypes appear to have shielded many African-Americans from fatal prescription opioid overdoses. This is not a new finding. (Frakt and Monkovic, 11/25)
NPR: In The Fight For Money For The Opioid Crisis, Will The Youngest Victims Be Left Out?
Babies born to mothers who used opioids during pregnancy represent one of the most distressing legacies of an opioid epidemic that has claimed almost 400,000 lives and ravaged communities. In fact, many of the ongoing lawsuits filed against drug companies make reference to these babies, fighting through withdrawal in hospital nurseries. The cluster of symptoms they experience, which include tremors, seizures and respiratory distress, is known as neonatal abstinence syndrome. Until recently, doctors rarely looked for the condition. (Farmer, 11/22)
The Associated Press: Federal Addiction Treatment Dollars Off-Limits For Marijuana
The U.S. government is barring federal dollars meant for opioid addiction treatment to be used on medical marijuana. The move is aimed at states that allow marijuana for medical uses, particularly those letting patients with opioid addiction use pot as a treatment, said Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, whose federal agency doles out money to states for treatment programs. (11/22)
Columbus Dispatch: Homeless Advocate's Needle-Exchange Effort Causes Split With Licking County
The Licking County Health Department distributes free naloxone opioid-overdose reversal kits to residents. The naloxone distribution program, called Integrated Naloxone Access and Infrastructure, is funded by a grant from the Ohio Department of Health and is available to all Licking County residents, said Olivia Biggs, a department spokeswoman. Free naloxone kits can be requested from the department’s website ...County Health Commissioner Joe Ebel said in a statement this month that the health department learned that ]Patricia] Perry is violating the department’s policy by passing out her kits. (Hendrix, 11/22)
The Baltimore Sun: Carroll County Commissioners Decline To Cover Overdose Reversal Training For School Employees
The Carroll County commissioners said Thursday that they support the idea of getting more school employees trained on how to administer an overdose-reversal drug, but they disagree with the school system’s proposal on how to do so. The commissioners on Thursday rejected a request to cover the cost of training another 200 Carroll County Public Schools staff members outside of school hours, telling school system officials to go “back to the drawing board." (Keller, 11/22)
Kaiser Health News: Not Yesterday’s Cocaine: Death Toll Rising From Tainted Drug
A pain pill prescription for nerve damage revived Gwendolyn Barton’s long-dormant addiction last year, awakening fears she would slip back into smoking crack cocaine. She’d done that drug and others for about 20 years before getting sober in 2008. But things were different back then. This time, the 62-year-old knew she needed to seek treatment before it was too late. (Ungar, 11/25)
WBUR: A Sip Of Morphine: Uganda's Old-School Solution To A Shortage Of Painkillers
In the United States, drugmakers have flooded the market with powerful, sophisticated opioids. And that's fueled an epidemic of addiction. But across Africa many patients can't afford even mild painkillers — let alone medications to help people in extreme pain.Uganda has come up with a solution that goes back to basics with one of the world's original painkillers: morphine. (Aizenman, 11/25)
