Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Opioids' Serious Adverse Effects Came Up In Only 12% Of Doctor, Sales Rep Interactions, Analysis Finds
Stat: As Opioid Crisis Intensified, Many Family Doctors Liked Promotional Pitches
As the opioid crisis accelerated a decade ago, pharmaceutical sales reps emphasized the benefits of the addictive painkillers, but rarely mentioned serious harms — and physicians generally believed the information was sufficiently useful to consider additional prescribing, according to a new analysis. Specifically, the health benefits of opioids — such as tramadol and hydromorphone — were discussed in 78% of the interactions, but in 54% of the meetings, adverse events were not mentioned. Serious adverse events did come up, but in only 12% of the encounters. Meanwhile, safety claims, such as statements that the pills were well tolerated, were mentioned nearly half of the time, or 49%. (Silverman, 2/13)
Wyoming Public Radio: Campbell County School District Considering Carrying Opioid Overdose Medication In Schools
Under Wyoming law, any person can go to a pharmacy and ask for a prescription of naloxone, which is a medication that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose. Now, the Campbell County School District's Board is considering instituting a policy that would allow trained staff to carry and administer it on school grounds. (Wheeler, 2/13)
