Heroin’s Disappearance From East Coast Sounds Like Public Health Victory, But It Puts Longtime Users At Risk For Overdose
Synthetic fentanyl, a deadlier drug that is much cheaper to produce and distribute than heroin, has all but replaced heroin, which used to have deep roots in East Coast places like Appalachia, New England mill towns and New York City. In other news on the drug and opioid epidemic: prescription painkillers, needle exchange programs, opioid use in the workforce, and more.
The New York Times:
In Cities Where It Once Reigned, Heroin Is Disappearing
Heroin has ravaged this city since the early 1960s, fueling desperation and crime that remain endemic in many neighborhoods. But lately, despite heroin’s long, deep history here, users say it has become nearly impossible to find. Heroin’s presence is fading up and down the Eastern Seaboard, from New England mill towns to rural Appalachia, and in parts of the Midwest that were overwhelmed by it a few years back. It remains prevalent in many Western states, but even New York City, the nation’s biggest distribution hub for the drug, has seen less of it this year. (Goodnough, 5/18)
The New York Times:
Millions Take Gabapentin For Pain. But There’s Scant Evidence It Works.
One of the most widely prescribed prescription drugs, gabapentin, is being taken by millions of patients despite little or no evidence that it can relieve their pain. In 2006, I wrote about gabapentin after discovering accidentally that it could counter hot flashes. The drug was initially approved 25 years ago to treat seizure disorders, but it is now commonly prescribed off-label to treat all kinds of pain, acute and chronic, in addition to hot flashes, chronic cough and a host of other medical problems. (Brody, 5/20)
Austin American-Statesman:
In Addressing Opioid Crisis, Texas Lawmakers Shy Away From Controversial Bills
State lawmakers are taking aim at the opioid crisis this session largely through education initiatives and regulations on prescribing of opioids, letting some of the more controversial bills — like those that would have protected drug addicts who call to report overdoses and legalized needle exchange programs — die in the House and Senate. Legislation by Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, that would have given Texas counties the authority to decide whether to make programs that hand out syringes to drug users legal, did not make it to a vote in the House. (Huber, 5/19)
Kaiser Health News:
Opioid Prescriptions Drop Sharply Among State Workers
The agency that manages health care for California’s massive state workforce is reporting a major reduction in opioid prescriptions, reflecting a national trend of physicians cutting back on the addictive drugs. Insurance claims for opioids, which are prescribed to help people manage pain, decreased almost 19% in a single year among the 1.5 million Californians served by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. CalPERS manages health benefits for employees and retirees of state and local agencies and public schools, and their families. (Cone, 5/20)
CQ:
Shareholders Win Vote Asking Opioid-Maker To Reveal Risk Plans
Shareholder proposals asking painkiller manufacturer Mallinckrodt PLC to reveal how it’s addressing risk related to opioid sales, its lobbying spending and all senior executive bonuses or stock pay won approval Wednesday, the investor coalition behind the requests told CQ. Mallinckrodt announced that the trio of requests received support from a majority of shareholders during its May 15 annual meeting in London, Investors for Opioid Accountability co-leader Donna Meyer said. The results mark a significant win for the coalition, which is pressing drug companies to change practices and increase oversight in light of the opioid crisis and related business threats. (Weiss, 5/17)
Kaiser Health News:
Why Missouri’s The Last Holdout On A Statewide Rx Monitoring Program
Missouri retained its lonely title as the only state without a statewide prescription drug monitoring program — for the seventh year in a row — after the legislative session ended Friday. Patient advocates, politicians, experts and members of the medical community had hoped this would finally be the year Missouri would create a statewide electronic database designed to help spot the abuse of prescription drugs. After all, Republican Gov. Mike Parson had pushed for it and, more important, its longtime opponent was no longer in office to block it. (Weber, 5/20)
