Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Patients Saved By Naloxone Too Often Succumbing Quickly To Another Overdose
The Wall Street Journal: Prince’s Death Spotlights Overdose Antidote Dilemma
Prince’s death last month from a possible opioid overdose highlights the challenge for health officials using the overdose-reversal medication naloxone: getting people saved from overdoses into addiction treatment. Six days before he died, the 57-year-old musician overdosed on the painkiller Percocet while on a flight, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Moline, Ill., a law-enforcement official said. Hospital staff revived him with a dose of naloxone, also known as Narcan. ... Across the country, public health officials are embracing naloxone as a key life-saving tool in the opioid crisis. (Kamp and Campo-Flores, 5/11)
The New York Times: Prince’s Doctor Arrived With Test Results Only To Find Him Dead
During his two visits, Dr. Schulenberg performed tests and prescribed medication for an undisclosed ailment, the affidavit said. Dr. Schulenberg said he had arrived at Prince’s compound to turn over the test results. The warrant sought medical records from the North Memorial Medical Center, which is part of the health system where Dr. Schulenberg used to work. Authorities have not released a cause of death, and have said that a determination might be weeks away. But Dr. Schulenberg’s visit makes clear that Prince was actively receiving medical treatment before his death on April 21. (Eldred and Eligon, 5/10)
The Associated Press: Warrant: Minnesota Doctor Saw Prince, Prescribed Drugs
A Minnesota doctor saw Prince twice in the month before his death — including the day before he died — and prescribed him medication, according to contents of a search warrant that were revealed as authorities returned to the musician's suburban Minneapolis estate as part of their investigation into what killed him. Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg treated Prince on April 7 and April 20, and he prescribed medications for the musician, according to the warrant, which was obtained Tuesday by at least two news outlets before authorities moved to ensure it was sealed. (5/11)
