Most Americans Think The Opioid Epidemic Is A Problem — Just Not One That’s In Their Backyard

The Associated Press: Surgeon General: Most In US Think Opioid Abuse Is Not Local
The U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Jerome Adams, said Thursday that opioid abuse occurs nationwide, but only a small percentage of Americans think it's an emergency in their own communities. "Most of us feel that the opioid epidemic is a problem," Adams said during a panel discussion at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. "But when you look at surveys, less than half of the people in the United States feel that it rises to the level of an emergency. And less than half of that — less than a quarter of the people — feel it's an emergency in their community. Everyone thinks there's a problem somewhere else." (5/17)

Stat: FDA Admonishes Big Data Provider Over Error Concerning Opioid Prescriptions
In an unusual development, the Food and Drug Administration has sternly criticized a big provider of prescription data to the federal government after discovering an “inaccuracy” concerning the amount of fentanyl that was prescribed over the past year, as well as “data quality issues” regarding several other controlled substances. The mistakes occurred as the agency attempts to manage and develop policies for coping with the opioid crisis, a task that can be accomplished only with the help of accurate prescribing data that is dissected for usage trends. For this reason, the FDA plans to brief members of Congress for potential public health implications and convene with other federal agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Agency. (Silverman, 5/17)

Stat: McCaskill Urges Two Government Agencies To Rethink Purchases Of Teva Medicines 
For the past 10 months, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) has asked Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) to provide information about any steps the drug maker has taken to mitigate the opioid epidemic. But the company has refused to comply, prompting the lawmaker to write the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans to reconsider their dealings with Teva. In identical letters to the agencies (here and here), McCaskill wrote that Teva has been “stonewalling” her probe into the opioid crisis, which she launched last year into several drug makers and wholesalers. And she urged the agencies to “evaluate whether (the DOD and VA) should contract with an entity that has refused to respond to requests during a Senate investigation.” (Silverman, 5/17)

CQ: House Panel Advances Opioid Bills
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday approved 32 opioid bills during its second markup on the issue, which was markedly more contentious than its previous one. Still, most bills advanced by voice votes during the almost eight-hour markup. Up for debate were 34 bills related to the opioid epidemic, specifically focusing on public health, the Food and Drug Administration, Medicare and Medicaid. The committee did not hold votes on two of the measures. (Raman, 5/17)

East Oregonian: Methadone Clinic Comes To Pendleton
A methadone clinic will open in Pendleton as soon as regulatory hurdles are cleared. The Pendleton Treatment Center will offer methadone and Suboxone — two medications used to combat addiction to prescription painkillers and heroin. The clinic won’t start receiving clients until the complicated regulatory process wraps up and staff members are hired, an undertaking that could take a couple of months or more. (Aney, 5/17)

The Associated Press: Walgreens Offers Free Hepatitis C Testing At 10 Pharmacies
The Virginia Department of Health is partnering with Walgreens to offer no-cost Hepatitis C testing at 10 pharmacies across the state. The health department announced the development Thursday.The testing offer comes as Virginia’s opioid epidemic has contributed to an increasing number of Hepatitis C cases in the state. The health department says people who share needles when they inject drugs are most at risk for acquiring the virus. (5/18)