Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Orders Ohio Cities Suing Purdue Over Opioid Crisis To Come Up With Proof Of Specific Harm Done
The Wall Street Journal: Opioid Makers Ask Counties For Proof Of Harm
Purdue Pharma LP has a request for counties suing the drug manufacturer for allegedly causing the opioid epidemic: Show us how we are to blame. As the number of opioid lawsuits against Purdue and other drug manufacturers reaches 1,500 and counting, the companies are pushing their adversaries to offer specific details to back up their claims. (Randazzo, 10/18)
Stat: Cardinal Health Pushed To Redo Executive Pay To Reflect Opioid Settlements
As the number of lawsuits over the opioid crisis mounts, Cardinal Health (CAH) is being pushed by members of an investor coalition to overhaul the way executive pay is calculated in order to reflect the potential cost of any settlements or fines. In a recently filed shareholder proposal, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and a Rhode Island state pension fund argue the wholesaler should change its approach to tallying profits over concerns any possible payments will be substantial, and that Cardinal executives should bear some of the costs. To add more pressure, a letter is being sent to shareholder this week in advance of an annual shareholder meeting scheduled for Nov. 7. (Silverman, 10/18)
Stat: FDA Expert Panel Chair Defies His Panel For Endorsing Opioid Painkiller
In an unusual move, the chair of a Food and Drug Administration panel is defying a recommendation that his own panel made last week to endorse a powerful opioid painkiller, because he believes the drug represents a “danger” to public health. And to make sure his views are known, Dr. Raeford Brown, the panel chair, conveyed his concerns in a letter on Thursday to FDA officials. At issue is Dsuvia, which the FDA’s Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee last Friday voted 10-to-3 to recommend for combating moderate-to-severe acute pain, but only for adults in medically supervised settings. (Silverman, 10/18)
In other news on the epidemic —
Reuters: Roseanne Character Dies Of Opioid Overdose As 'The Conners' Take Over
One of television's best-known families returned on Tuesday without its matriarch, as the character of feisty Roseanne Conner was killed off through an accidental opioid overdose. ... Audiences had last seen Roseanne Conner hiding an opioid addiction stemming from knee pain and about to undergo long-delayed, costly surgery. (Serjeant, 10/18)
Austin American-Statesman: Austin Addiction Treatment Company To Partner With Health Insurance Carrier
Horizon Healthcare Services Inc. will deploy MAP’s telehealth “Peer Recovery Support” service, the company said. The service aims to help patients and their families identify relapse behaviors and provide communication primarily through phone and video sessions. (Cobler, 10/18)
Kansas City Star: Kansas City Doctor John Verstraete Sentenced To One Year
A popular Kansas City doctor was sentenced to a year in federal prison at an emotional hearing Thursday for his role in prescription drug fraud. John Verstraete and employees at his office at 3215 Main St. had pleaded guilty to writing unnecessary prescriptions for human growth hormone and importing illegal steroids from overseas and then selling them on the black market. (Marso, 10/18)
