Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Potent Elephant Tranquilizer Carfentanil Is Newest Threat In Deadly Opioid Crisis
NPR: Synthetic Opioid Carfentanil Is Killing People In The Midwest
A powerful drug that's normally used to tranquilize elephants is being blamed for a record spike in drug overdoses in the Midwest. Officials in Ohio have declared a public health emergency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says communities everywhere should be on alert for carfentanil. The synthetic opioid is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, the prescription painkiller that led to the death earlier this year of the pop star Prince. Fentanyl itself can be up to 50 times more deadly than heroin. (Ludden, 9/2)
Stat: Long Island County Sues Opioid Drug Makers For Misleading Marketing
You can add Suffolk County, N.Y., to the list of local and state governments that are filing lawsuits against the drug makers that market opioid painkillers. The Long Island county on Wednesday accused several companies — Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, and Endo International, among others — of using deceptive marketing to downplay the risks of their painkillers, and of improperly encouraging physicians to prescribe the medicines in a way that caused some patients to become addicts. In the process, the county alleged it paid for prescriptions for its employee health plan inappropriately. (Silverman, 9/1)
CBS News: Drugmakers May Face More Legal Action Over Opioid Epidemic
A group of state attorneys general nationwide are discussing new ways they can pursue legal action against opioid manufacturers like Purdue Pharma, according to two sources with knowledge of the conversations. Purdue Pharma’s drug Oxycontin has been blamed for kickstarting the opioid epidemic. The drug generated over $3 billion for the company in 2010.The latest entity to sue Purdue Pharma for the epidemic is Suffolk County, New York, which filed their lawsuit Wednesday claiming Purdue Pharma and other manufacturers are misleading the public and doctors about the dangers of painkillers. (Strickler, 9/1)
Modern Healthcare: Should The Cost Of Naloxone Be Determined By Its Public Health Impact?
The rising cost of naloxone—a 40-year-old drug capable of reversing drug overdoses—is prompting questions about the wisdom of allowing market-forces to determine the price of a vital tool in the public health response to the nation’s opioid crisis. Some say the federal government should purchase the drug and distribute it to state and local health agencies at a more affordable price. (Johnson, 9/1)
WBUR: New Opioid Treatment Offers Hope For Addicts, But Challenges For Doctors
Physicians across the country are learning to administer a new opioid treatment. It's an implant — four little sticks that get inserted in a patient's arm, delivering a constant low dose of medication. Experts say it could be a real game changer for people dependent on opioid addiction medication. But physicians are encountering some challenges in adopting it. (Shakerdge, 9/1)
The Boston Globe: CVS Agrees To Require Pharmacists To Consult Prescription Database
Pharmacists working in the 350 CVS drug stores in Massachusetts will have to consult a database of prescriptions before dispensing powerful painkillers under a first-in-the-nation agreement designed to help stem the opioid crisis. The pact, the result of an investigation by Attorney General Maura Healey into CVS stores improperly dispensing drugs to high-risk patients, emerges as opioids have left thousands dead across New England. (Freyer, 9/2)
WBUR: In Settlement With Mass., CVS Agrees To Strengthen Policies Around Dispensing Opioids
As part of a settlement with the state, CVS Pharmacy will require its pharmacy staff in Massachusetts to check the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) before filling prescriptions for "commonly misused opioids," Attorney General Maura Healey announced Thursday. The PMP collects dispensing data on certain drugs and allows doctors and pharmacists to monitor patient prescription history. In a statement, Healey's office called it a "first-in-the-nation settlement with the largest pharmacy chain in the country." (WBUR, 9/1)
Stat: Kratom Devotees Try To Keep Supplement Safe — And Legal
From the DEA’s perspective, kratom is a dangerous, life-threatening drug that is creating a “public health crisis.” But to daily kratom users like (Margo) Burton, the drug is a lifeline. “A whole lot of people are going to go into a deep depression and commit suicide, or start back on dangerous drugs that cause them to OD,” Burton said. It’s easy to dismiss kratom users as herbal remedy enthusiasts, intent on using psychoactive plants however they like. But the DEA’s decision has revealed, instead, a hidden nationwide network of advocates, educators, and devotees who talk about discovering kratom the way some Christians talk of being born again. (Boodman, 9/2)
NBC News: Yoga, Acupuncture Can Help Some Pain, Studies Find
Some "natural" techniques can help ease pain, including acupuncture, yoga, tai chi and massage, government researchers said Thursday. A review of high-quality studies shows these approaches rarely cause any harm and can help people with lower back pain, headaches and arthritic knees, the team at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health found. (Fox, 9/1)
