Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Dismisses Opioid Discrimination Lawsuit Against Walgreens
Reuters: Class Action Claiming Walgreens Opioid Policy Harms Pain Patients Tossed
A federal judge has dismissed a proposed class action lawsuit accusing pharmacy giant Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc of discriminating against people with disabilities by discouraging pharmacists from filling high dose opioid prescriptions. The decision by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco Friday comes as Walgreens and other pharmacy operators face thousands of lawsuits nationwide accusing them of failing to stop illegal opioid distribution, contributing to an epidemic of addiction that has killed more than half a million people over two decades. (Pierson, 9/12)
More on the opioid crisis —
AP: 5 Doctors Plead Guilty In West Virginia In Pain Pill Scheme
Five doctors pleaded guilty in a pain pill prescription scheme involving clinics in West Virginia and Virginia, federal prosecutors said Monday. The scheme was tied to the Hope Clinic and involved prescribing oxycodone and other controlled substances that weren’t for legitimate medical purposes from 2010 to 2015. Some prescriptions provided up to seven pills per day, and several Hope locations averaged 65 or more daily customers during a 10-hour workday with only one practitioner working, prosecutors said in a news release. (Raby, 9/12)
The New York Times: Man Gets Life In Prison For Selling Fentanyl That Killed 11
A Minnesota man was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for selling fentanyl that caused the deaths of 11 people who had bought it believing it was a less dangerous drug, the Justice Department said. (Medina, 9/12)
Dallas Morning News: Dallas Considers Mapping Drug Overdoses In Real Time To Save Lives
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot advocated for the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program at the city’s public safety committee meeting Monday because of the nation’s addiction and overdose crisis, which health experts say has been driven in recent years by the growing presence of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. (Smith, 9/12)
In health and wellness news —
NBC News: Ground Beef In HelloFresh Meal Kits May Have Had E. Coli Contamination
Some HelloFresh meal kits shipped in July may contain ground beef contaminated with E. coli. The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued an alert Saturday telling consumers who received the kit to throw the beef away if it's still in their freezers. (Bendix, 9/12)
NBC News: Marijuana Use During Pregnancy May Harm Children's Mental Health
An analysis of data from more than 10,000 children aged 11 and 12 revealed that exposure to cannabis in utero was associated with a higher risk of developing disorders such as ADHD, aggressive behavior, conduct disorder and rule-breaking behavior, according to the report published in JAMA Pediatrics. (Carroll, 9/12)
On gun violence —
AP: Psychologist: School Shooter Suffered Fetal Alcohol Damage
Attorneys for Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz began building their argument Monday that his birth mother’s alcohol abuse left him with severe behavioral problems that eventually led to his 2018 murder of 17 people at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Paul Connor, a Seattle-area neuropsychologist, said medical records and testimony by prior witnesses show that Brenda Woodard drank and used cocaine throughout much of her pregnancy before Cruz’s birth in 1998. Woodard, a Fort Lauderdale prostitute, gave up the baby immediately after to his adoptive parents, Lynda and Roger Cruz. Woodard died last year. (Spencer, 9/12)
