Latest News On Opioids

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Oklahoma’s ‘Precedent-Setting’ Suit Puts Opioid Drugmakers On Trial

KFF Health News Original

As states struggle to respond to the national drug crisis, officials around the country are watching Oklahoma. The state’s attorney general says opioid drugmakers helped ignite a health crisis that has killed thousands of residents.

Use Of Buprenorphine To Treat Opioid Addiction Proliferates In California

KFF Health News Original

Buprenorphine is becoming an increasingly popular choice among doctors in California for treating opioid addiction. Use of methadone, while still more common, has not gained ground in recent years.

Opioid Prescriptions Drop Sharply Among State Workers

KFF Health News Original

New data from the California agency that manages health benefits for 1.5 million public employees, retirees and their families shows that doctors are writing far fewer opioid prescriptions, reflecting a national trend of physicians cutting back on the addictive drugs.

Why Missouri’s The Last Holdout On A Statewide Rx Monitoring Program

KFF Health News Original

For the seventh year in a row, Missouri will retain its lonely title as the only state without a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. Fears about privacy violations and gun control scuttled the bill yet again, leaving a pastiche of half-step measures in place to fill the void in the fight against prescription drug abuse.

Amid Opioid Prescriber Crackdown, Health Officials Reach Out To Pain Patients

KFF Health News Original

After dozens of health care workers were charged with illegally prescribing opioids in Appalachia, local health agencies are trying to make sure chronic pain patients don’t fall through the cracks.

Aspirantes a médicos se entrenan para enfrentar las adicciones

KFF Health News Original

La epidemia de opioides ha puesto en evidencia el déficit profesional de médicos especializados en adicciones. Pero los estudiantes comienzan a mostrar un renovado interés.

Aspiring Doctors Seek Advanced Training In Addiction Medicine

KFF Health News Original

Once a tiny specialty that drew mostly psychiatrists, addiction medicine is expanding its accredited training to include primary care residents and “social justice warriors” who see it as a calling.