Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'He's Yelling Out In Pain': Being Forced To Taper Opioids Isn't Working For Some Patients Who Say They Didn't Abuse Them
The Washington Post: Opioid Crackdown Forces Pain Patients To Taper Off Drugs They Say They Need
Carol and Hank Skinner of Alexandria, Va., can talk about pain all day long. Carol, 77, once had so much pain in her right hip and so little satisfaction with medical treatment she vowed to stay in bed until she died. Hank, 79, has had seven shoulder surgeries, lung cancer, open-heart surgery, a blown-out knee and lifelong complications from a clubfoot. He has a fentanyl patch on his belly to treat his chronic shoulder pain. He replaces the patch every three days, supplementing the slow-release fentanyl with pills containing hydrocodone. (Achenbach and Bernstein, 9/10)
NPR: Opioid Crisis: Medical Schools Rethink How To Teach Students About Pain
The next generation of doctors will start their careers at a time when physicians are feeling pressure to limit prescriptions for opioid painkillers. Yet every day, they'll face patients who are hurting from injuries, surgical procedures, or disease. Around 20% of adults in the U.S. live with chronic pain. That's why some medical students felt a little apprehensive as they gathered recently for a mandatory, four-day course at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore — home to one of the top medical schools in the country. (Greenfieldboyce, 9/11)
North Carolina Health News: New Dollars Target Opioid Misuse, Workforce Revitalization In WNC Appalachian Regional Commission
Targeting some of the epicenters of the national opioid epidemic, the Appalachian Regional Commission announced a plan to revitalize the workforce in communities ravaged by addiction. The agency, whose mandate is to promote economic prosperity in 420 counties in 13 states, including North Carolina, outlined a plan to bolster and link programs that support people struggling with substance use disorders to recovery and career-readiness skills. The federal-state partnership has also made it a priority to support initiatives that document and duplicate successful efforts across communities. The exact sum of money the agency will dedicate to these efforts in fiscal year 2020 isn’t yet finalized, pending congressional budget approval, an agency spokeswoman said this week. (Engel-Smith, 9/11)
