Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White Patients 35 Times More Likely To Receive Addiction Medication Than African-American Ones
Detroit Free Press: Opioid Addiction: Whites More Likely To Get Buprenorphine Medicine
White people who are addicted to heroin or other opioids are 35 times more likely to receive treatment with a medication called buprenorphine than are African Americans or other people of color, according to a new study. For every outpatient appointment where a person of color received a prescription for buprenorphine, also known by the brand name Suboxone, white patients had thirty-five appointments, said researchers from the University of Michigan and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System who analyzed national data from 2012-2015. (Kovanis, 5/8)
Kaiser Health News: Addiction Medicine Mostly Prescribed To Whites, Even As Opioid Deaths Rose Among Blacks
White drug users addicted to heroin, fentanyl and other opioids have had near-exclusive access to buprenorphine, a drug that curbs the craving for opioids and reduces the chance of a fatal overdose. That’s according to a study out Wednesday from the University of Michigan. It appears in JAMA Psychiatry. Researchers reviewed two national surveys of physician-reported prescriptions. From 2012 to 2015, as overdose deaths surged in many states so did the number of visits during which a doctor or nurse practitioner prescribed buprenorphine, often referred to by the brand name Suboxone. The researchers assessed 13.4 million medical encounters involving the drug but found no increase in prescriptions written for African Americans. (Bebinger, 5/8)
Kaiser Health News: Needle Exchanges Find New Champions Among Republicans
Once repellent to conservative politicians, needle exchanges are now being endorsed and legalized in Republican-controlled states. At least four legislatures have considered bills to allow hypodermic needle exchanges, and two states, Georgia and Idaho, made them legal this year. In each of these states, the House and Senate are controlled by Republicans and the governor is a Republican. Florida, Missouri, Iowa and Arizona have introduced bills this legislative session that would allow needle exchanges in their state. The measures were all sponsored or co-sponsored by Republicans. (Knight, 5/9)
Boston Globe: Methuen Officer Taken To Hospital After Being Exposed To Fentanyl During Prisoner Booking
A police officer in Methuen was evaluated at a local hospital Wednesday after he was exposed to fentanyl while booking a prisoner, authorities said. The prisoner, according to police, allegedly ripped open a bag of white powder that had been taped to his groin. The bag had been discovered while he was being booked and processed at the police station, authorities said. (McDonald, 5/8)
