Prince’s Death Spotlights Demographic Particularly Vulnerable To Opioid Epidemic
More than 40 percent of the fatal opioid drug overdoses are of people between the ages of 45 to 64. Meanwhile, questions are starting to crop up around the actions of the addiction specialist who was called to help the celebrity the day before his death.
Kaiser Health News:
In Prince’s Age Group, Risk Of Opioid Overdose Climbs
Evidence is mounting that opioid pain medication may have played a role in the death of pop legend Prince. While the medical examiner hasn’t yet released the results of the autopsy and toxicology tests in this case, opioid overdose in middle age is all too common. ... Experts say there are a number of scenarios that increase risk of overdose, which is often accidental, for people over 55. Imagine you are in that age group and you injured your shoulder a while back. It just hasn’t gotten better, so you take prescription painkillers — an opioid like OxyContin — to help with the pain. Let’s say you’ve been taking it for a couple of years. Your body has built up a tolerance to the drug, and now, you need to change it up to get the same amount of relief. When it comes to the potential for overdose, said Boston Medical Center epidemiologist Traci Green, this is one of the most dangerous crossroads. (Espeland Gourlay, 5/6)
The Associated Press:
Questions Arise About California Doctor's Response To Prince
Was a California doctor acting legally when he sent his son to Prince's home with a drug often used to treat people addicted to opiates such as prescription painkillers? Dr. Howard Kornfeld may have been trying to help, but he was not licensed to practice medicine in Minnesota and was not registered to care for patients there via telemedicine, as the state requires. His son, Andrew Kornfeld, who has been described as a pre-med student, was not a licensed prescriber. (5/5)
Minnesota Public Radio:
Explained: How Medication-Assisted Treatment Works For Opioid Addiction
The investigation into what may have caused Prince's death last month has focused on the role prescription painkillers may have played. The office for the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday offered Carver County investigators their expertise in investigating prescription drug diversion. And an attorney for a California doctor, Dr. Howard Kornfeld, has come forward to say that he was trying to help the musician with drug addiction when he died. (Collins, 5/5)
