New York Lawmakers Want Pharma To Foot Bill Of Proposed Drug Take-Back Program Aimed At Curbing Opioid Crisis
The state is just the latest to propose such legislation, which reflects ongoing concern among local governments that seek to reduce contaminants in drinking water and lower the threat of drug abuse stemming from drugs that linger in household medicine chests. In other news, China officials says U.S. should look at domestic factors before pointing the finger at them over the epidemic and the tech industry asserts its interest in playing a role in curbing the crisis.
Stat:
New York State May Force Drug Makers To Pay For Drug Take-Back Programs
New York appears poised to become the latest state to adopt a drug take-back law, a slow-but-steady notion moving across the country as local governments grapple with budget constraints caused by unwanted or unused medicines and the opioid crisis. And the financial burden would, once again, fall on the pharmaceutical industry. The New York state legislature last week unanimously passed a bill that would require drug makers to underwrite the cost of collecting and disposing of medicines. The measure must now be sent to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. We asked his office for comment and will pass along any reply. Last year, Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have required pharmacy chains — not drug makers — to largely pay for a statewide program. (Silverman, 6/26)
CNN:
China Lectures The United States On Opioid Crisis
A top official in China's drug control agency has hit back at accusations that Chinese suppliers are fueling the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States, arguing that Washington should pay more attention to domestic factors before pointing fingers at others. "It's common knowledge that most new psychoactive substances (NPS) have been designed in laboratories in the United States and Europe, and their deep-processing and consumption also mostly take place there," said Liu Yuejin, deputy chief of China's National Narcotics Control Commission, during a press conference Monday. (Jiang, 6/26)
Politico Pro:
Tech Tries To Get Ahead Of Opioids As Washington Gets A Taste For Regulation
The American internet industry is maneuvering this week to get ahead of brightening prospects for federal policies that would combat the country's raging opioid epidemic by targeting web platforms and other digital services used in the sale of drugs. "America's leading internet companies are committed to helping society win this fight," an official with the industry lobbying group Internet Association said on a briefing call with reporters Tuesday. Internet companies, the official said, are willing to take on an "outsize role" in that fight. IA's members include Google, Facebook, PayPal and cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. (Scola, 6/26)
And in news from the states —
St. Louis Public Radio:
County Council Jumping Into Battle Against Opioid Abuse
The St. Louis County Council is planning to set up a special task force to tackle the region’s opioid problem, and is offering up to $1 million in grants to encourage people to come up with solutions. In a rare show of solidarity, the council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of the plan. (Mannies, 6/27)
Austin American-Statesman:
Police, Health Officials Testify At Texas Capitol On Opioid Crisis
The 13-member Texas House of Representatives select committee on opioids and substance abuse will hear from police chiefs, sheriffs, first responders and emergency department personnel on how opioids and other substances in their communities are changing the scope of their normal work. Police chiefs and sheriffs from Nacogdoches, Kerrville, Val Verde and Hardin counties are scheduled to speak, as well as first responders from Houston. (Huber, 6/26)
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Medicaid Spending On Opioid Treatment Soars In Ohio, Auditor Reports
The number of Ohio Medicaid recipients who have an opioid addiction has quadrupled since 2010, a state auditor's report shows. Ohio Auditor Dave Yost also noted Tuesday that the Medicaid system has seen an increase in medication-assisted treatment, which is the recommended treatment for opioid addiction. (Knight and DeMio, 6/26)
Columbus Dispatch:
Ohio Yet To OK Federal Money For Syringe Programs
The president of an Ohio drug-policy advocacy group says state officials are dragging their feet on a simple move that would open certain federal grant money to local syringe programs aimed at preventing the spread of disease among intravenous drug users. Dennis Cauchon, who leads Harm Reduction Ohio, said in a post on the group’s website Monday that the Ohio Department of Health is using a “bureaucratic tactic” — failing to submit a form to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — to prevent such programs from accessing any of the roughly $7.6 million in annual funding the state is expected to receive for HIV surveillance and prevention through mid-2022. (Viviano, 6/27)
Boston Globe:
Anti-Motion Detector Aims To Prevent Overdoses In Public Bathrooms
The alarms are an example of the creative ways health care professionals are using technology to combat the opioid crisis, as overdose deaths continue to plague the region. The system is relatively simple: As soon as someone enters one of the public bathrooms and locks the door, a motion detector turns on. (Capelouto, 6/26)
