Vt. Governor Wants To Limit Opioids Prescriptions Based On Expected Severity, Duration Of Pain
“We didn’t have a heroin crisis in America before OxyContin was approved and started being handed out like candy," Gov. Peter Shumlin, whose state has been particularly hard hit, said when talking about the proposed regulations. Media outlets also report on the epidemic out of New York, Delaware and North Carolina.
The New York Times:
Vermont Governor Proposes Limits On Painkiller Prescriptions
Gov. Peter Shumlin of Vermont on Wednesday announced proposed limits on the number of painkillers that could be prescribed, the latest measure his administration has taken to combat the opioid crisis that has ravaged the state in the last five years. (Bromwich, 10/19)
The Associated Press:
NY Tells Health Insurers To Cover Addiction Treatment Drugs
New York state is requiring more health insurers to cover the cost of medications used to help those struggling with opioid addiction.The steps announced Wednesday by the Department of Financial Services apply to those covered under large-group insurance policies. State officials say they "mirror" the rules already covering small-group and individual policies. (10/20)
The Washington Post:
Delaware Attorney General Eyes Heroin, Opioid Abuse Efforts
Attorney General Matt Denn says more work is needed to tackle heroin addiction and prescription painkiller abuse in Delaware. Denn on Wednesday said the state’s prescription drug monitoring program needs to be tightened to help officials identify prescribing patterns that should be referred to police or medical licensing authorities. (Chase, 10/19)
North Carolina Health News:
To Reduce Addiction, Link Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse Care
In April, when Hickory was ranked fifth in the nation in the rate of opioid abuse, the designation sent shock waves through this foothills city of about 40,000. At a recent conference there, citizens and professionals looked for solutions to Hickory’s headline-generating prescription drug abuse problems, offering lists of existing resources. But it was the lack of coordination among professionals treating people with both mental illness and substance abuse problems, known as “dual diagnosis” clients, that emerged as a possible key factor behind the problem during the daylong event. (Goldsmith, 10/20)
