Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Overdose Deaths Drop 10%, Data Show
The Washington Post: Overdose Deaths Decline Sharply After Years Of Fentanyl-Fueled Surges
Overdose deaths appear to be declining sharply in the United States, a sign that efforts to combat the scourge of lethal fentanyl may be paying off even as experts caution that the toll remains unacceptably high and could rise again. Preliminary data compiled by states and released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a 10 percent drop in deaths during the 12-month period ending in April 2024, with about 101,000 people succumbing to overdoses. (Ovalle, 10/7)
Modern Healthcare: Telehealth Opioid Treatment Companies Urge DEA For Leniency
Telehealth companies that focus on opioid addiction treatment say not all controlled substances should be regulated equally by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The legal authority allowing clinicians to prescribe DEA-regulated medications virtually, without an office visit, expires Dec. 31 and a draft version released last year triggered protests from providers and telehealth companies. (Perna, 10/4)
Also —
KHOU: Executives, Sales Reps, Brokers Arrested In $1.3 Billion Prescription Drug Operation
Charges have been unsealed in a massive pharmaceutical drug bust that was part of a criminal operation that distributed opioids and other drugs with a black-market value of $1.3 billion. Most of the 13 people charged, including three Houstonians, have pleaded guilty. It was a sophisticated system with prescription drug distributors funneling drugs like oxycodone into Houston pill mills. (Chow, 10/4)
WHYY: How Opioid Prescriptions Are Tracked And Monitored By Law Enforcement And Health Care Providers
Medical sociologist Liz Chiarello discusses the effects of prescription drug monitoring programs on both patients and physicians. (Kotch, 10/7)
The New York Times: How Cannabis And Opium Poppies Became National Security Issues
After supply chain disruptions that made critical medicines scarce, a federal effort is underway to ensure domestic stocks of pharmaceutical ingredients. (Goodman, 10/7)
Tradeoffs: A Meth And Cocaine Addiction Treatment Trades Gift Cards For Negative Drug Tests
Unlike opioid addiction, there are no FDA-approved medications for the more than 3 million Americans addicted to stimulants like meth and cocaine. Instead, the most effective treatment is low-tech — and more controversial: Give people retail gift cards usually worth less than $30 in exchange for negative drug tests. Research shows that it works, and after more than three decades of resistance, policymakers are finally giving that strategy a chance. (Levi, 10/5)
