Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Secret Records About Purdue Pharma's Marketing Techniques During Early Days Of Opioid Crisis To Be Released
Stat: Kentucky Supreme Court Clears Way For Release Of Purdue Records
After a 3 1/2 year legal battle, secret records about Purdue Pharma’s marketing of its potent opioid painkiller OxyContin will finally be made public. The Kentucky Supreme Court denied a request from Purdue to review lower courts’ decisions to release the documents, according to a one-page order received Monday by the lawyers in the case. The decision is a major victory for STAT, which first filed a motion to unseal the records in March 2016. Purdue has fought to keep the documents out of view, but the Supreme Court’s refusal is final and can’t be appealed. (Joseph and Ross, 8/26)
The Associated Press: Court Lets Purdue Pharma Court Records Be Made Public
On Monday, the 17 million pages of documents were being shipped from Frankfort to Pike County, where the case originated. Officials in the Pike County Circuit Court Clerk’s office could not immediately say how and when they would be available. (8/26)
Bloomberg: Prescription Opioids. Heroin. Fentanyl. How The Drug Crisis Began
Two decades ago, a new generation of supposedly safer painkillers triggered an epidemic of opioid abuse in the U.S. Since then, opioid overdoses have killed well over 400,000 Americans — more deaths than the country’s military suffered in World War II. The surge in prescription drug abuse was followed by a wave of heroin addiction. Now, more than half of opioid deaths are caused by synthetic versions such as fentanyl, a chemical powerful enough to kill in tiny concentrations. Beyond the death toll, at least 2 million Americans have become addicted. (Edney and Etter, 8/26)
The Associated Press: NYC Overdose Deaths Drop A Bit, But Still 'Far Too Many'
Overdose deaths in New York City declined slightly last year after years of alarming increases, health officials said Monday. There were 1,444 fatal overdoses citywide last year, down 2.6% from 2017, according to data released by the city Health Department. The number had been rising since 2010, when it was a comparatively low 541. (8/26)
Health News Florida: Feds Plan Crackdown As Florida Fentanyl Deaths Rise
Wednesday, the White House announced the federal government will be cracking down on international fentanyl trafficking. Fentanyl is a pain reliever used for treating severe pain, but in recent years the addictive drug has been used recreationally - causing more than 28,000 deaths in 2017. That’s more than half the deaths caused by opioids overall that year. Making it the biggest contributor to the opioid overdose. Fentanyl has taken the lives of thousands of Floridians over the past years. (Gainey, 8/26)
The Associated Press: 3 Illinois Prison Deaths Raise Questions About Drug Use
The deaths of three Illinois prisoners over three days from "probable intoxication" of an unknown substance have raised questions about drug use behind bars and whether inmates are watched closely enough, according to a published report. WBEZ reported Monday that documents the Chicago radio station obtained and interviews it conducted suggest lax supervision before at least one of the deaths that occurred in September of last year at Menard Correctional Center in Chester. (8/26)
