Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Long-Term Use Of Opioids To Address Chronic Pain More Common Among People Who Are Obese
Reuters: Obesity-Related Pain Contributes To Opioid Use
Long-term use of prescription opioids for chronic pain is more common among people who are overweight or obese, a new study finds. As a group, these individuals are more likely to use prescription opioids for pain in the back, joints, muscles and nerves, researchers write in the journal Pain. Andrew Stokes of the Boston University School of Public Health and colleagues analyzed data for more than 25,000 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, ages 35 to 79, to understand the relationship between obesity and prescription opioid use. (Crist, 6/18)
The Associated Press: Retired Oklahoma Judge To Mediate Opioid Settlement Funds
A former Oklahoma State Supreme Court justice will attempt to resolve a dispute over how to disburse an $85 million settlement of a state lawsuit with Teva Pharmaceuticals. Cleveland Count District Judge Thad Balkman said Monday that retired Judge Steven Taylor will serve as special master to help find a way to handle the funds arising from a lawsuit that accused drug companies of contributing to the opioid epidemic. (6/18)
Concord (N.H.) Monitor: N.H. Prisons Expand Medically Assisted Treatment For Addicts
The New Hampshire Department of Corrections will expand its use of medicine in the state’s prisons to assist inmates who are trying to overcome opioid and alcohol use disorders. The department announced Monday that its health care team has started the expansion at Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility in Berlin, which opened an intensive structured treatment unit in 2014. Officials said residents of the Berlin facility were screened on June 6 to determine whether they were eligible for the new program. (6/18)
KQED: San Quentin Death Row Inmate Died From Drug Overdose, Autopsy Reveals
A San Quentin inmate convicted of murdering a law enforcement officer died in April after overdosing on heroin, the Marin County coroner's office said Monday. It marks at least the third fatal overdose of a California death row inmate over a five-month span. (Goldberg, 6/18)
