Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Like Torture': Changing Opioid Treatment Protocol Dilutes Medicine That Is Only Relief For Patients With Sickle Cell
NPR: Effort To Control Opioids In An ER Leaves Some Sickle Cell Patients In Pain
India Hardy has lived with pain since she was a toddler — from dull persistent aches to acute flare-ups that interrupt the flow of her normal life. The pain is from sickle cell disease, a group of genetic conditions that affect about 100,000 people in the U.S., many of them of African or Hispanic descent. Sitting in the afternoon heat on her mom's porch in Athens, Ga., Hardy remembers how a recent "crisis" derailed her normal morning routine. (Whitehead, 1/2)
Seattle Times: Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson Files Suit Against Opioid Manufacturer Johnson & Johnson
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Thursday continued his legal offensive against companies that have profited from opioids, announcing a new lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and a subsidiary. The 78-page complaint, filed Thursday in King County Superior Court, asks that Johnson & Johnson pay the state the amount of money the company has made from selling opioids in Washington, in addition to civil penalties and damages. That precise dollar figure is unknown (it would surface during the discovery period of the lawsuit), but Ferguson said he’s confident it’s in the millions. (Blethen, 1/2)
The Associated Press: Washington State Sues Johnson & Johnson Over Opioid Crisis
“The human toll is staggering,” state Atty. Gen. Bob Ferguson said at a news conference. The lawsuit, which seeks civil penalties and damages, was filed in King County Superior Court. It says the company violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act, and was negligent and a public nuisance. (1/2)
CNN: Not Sure How To Get Rid Of Extra Opioids Or Antibiotics? The Pharmacy May Not Know, Either
When it comes to getting rid of prescription drugs, fewer than half of the pharmacies surveyed for a new study gave accurate guidance that met US Food and Drug Administration standards for disposing of unused opioids and antibiotics. Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco surveyed nearly 900 California pharmacies by phone over a two-month period in 2018 during the week and on weekends. For the study, published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers posed as parents with leftover opioids and antibiotics from a child's surgery. (Erdman, 12/31)
St. Louis Public Radio: SLU School Of Medicine Starts State's First Addiction Medicine Fellowship
St. Louis University is starting a program to train doctors to treat patients with addictions. The university’s school of medicine will operate the state’s first addiction medicine fellowship. Fellowship doctors will compete rotations at the city’s hospitals, clinics and community health centers. They'll also learn how to treat addiction in pregnant patients and newborns and receive training in telemedicine. (Fentem, 1/3)
MPR: St. Paul Police Report Sudden Spike In Overdoses Over Holiday
The city of St. Paul has seen a concerning spike in overdoses in the past week and police say uncovering the reason behind such a spike can be tricky. The first sign of trouble came last Friday, a couple of days after the Christmas holiday. (Moini, 1/3)
The CT Mirror: Congress Acts. Connecticut War On Opioids Continues.
Connecticut’s ad hoc network of opioid treatment and prevention services can expect about a $6 million increase from a recently approved federal funding bill that includes nearly $1.5 billion for State Opioid Response Grants, a relief to treatment specialists who feared last year that the Trump administration might be stepping back from the state grants. Officials said Thursday that the grant program, created in 2017 with strong bipartisan support in Congress, will continue with a $500 million increase over the $933 million allotted to states last year and allow the continuation in Connecticut of an evolving array of prevention, outreach, treatment and follow-up support. (Pazniokas, 1/2)
