Latest KFF Health News Stories
Trump’s Surgeon General Pick Built Name Fighting HIV And Opioids In Indiana
Dr. Jerome Adams is the health commissioner in Indiana, the home state of Vice President Mike Pence.
Do-It-Yourself Detox Can Be ‘Freddy Krueger’ Scary — And Usually Fails
Treatment for opioid addiction can be expensive and difficult to coordinate. That might make some people tempted to think they can overcome the addiction on their own. This rarely works.
Amount Of Opioids Prescribed In U.S. Has Been Falling Since 2010
Report by CDC researchers finds a steady fall in opioid use in recent years, but the rates are still three times higher than in 1999.
Alerta por nueva droga: es para neuropatías, pero la usan adictos a opioides
La gabapentina se utiliza para tratar afecciones de los nervios, pero la están usando cada vez más adictos a opioides. Es la quinta droga más recetada del país.
New On The Streets: Drug For Nerve Pain Boosts High For Opioid Abusers
Gabapentin, prescribed for epilepsy and nerve damage, is touted by federal health officials as an alternative to opioids for patients. But some are now abusing the drug.
McConnell Has About $200B In ‘Candy’ To Make Deals On Obamacare Repeal
As many as a dozen GOP senators may oppose the Senate majority leader’s Obamacare repeal bill. But the dealmaking is just beginning.
Patients With Mental Disorders Get Half Of All Opioid Prescriptions
A study finds that nearly 19 percent of people with mental illnesses use prescription drugs, while only 5 percent of other people do.
Unable To Arrest Opioid Epidemic, Red States Warm To Needle Exchanges
The North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition has advanced a local shift from a tough-on-drugs approach to harm-reduction philosophy. Other red states signal they may follow suit.
Medical Responses To Opioid Addiction Vary By State, Analysis Finds
The study also found that the largest percentage of medical coverage claims related to opioid abuse and dependence nationally come from older patients — those ages 51 to 60.
Recovery On The Reservation: Montana Sisters Help Peers Stop Using Drugs
A grass-roots effort to corral Montana’s meth crisis hinges on the idea that people who are successful in conquering addiction are uniquely qualified to coach others.
Public Restrooms Become Ground Zero In The Opioid Epidemic
People often turn to public restrooms as a place to get high on opioids. It has led some establishments to close their facilities, while others are training employees to help people who overdose.
What Doesn’t Kill You Can Maim: Unexpected Injuries From Opioids
Doctors are beginning to pay attention to injuries, such as brain damage or kidney failure, that can afflict people who survive an overdose.
Can We Tax Away The Opioid Crisis?
Lawmakers in California, like their counterparts in Congress, are considering a tax that would pay for addiction prevention and treatment efforts.
Another Circle Of Hell: Surviving Opioids In The Fentanyl Era
Unlike heroin, fentanyl routinely shuts down breathing in seconds, and it’s becoming more common.
¿Siente dolor? Muchos médicos dicen que los analgésicos no son la solución
Muchos médicos ya no recetan generosamente analgésicos opioides como la oxicodona o el fentanilo para el dolor de espalda o las migrañas. En cambio, recurren cada vez más a opciones no farmacológicas como la acupuntura y la fisioterapia.
In Pain? Many Doctors Say Opioids Are Not The Answer
The opioid addiction crisis has led to a crackdown on prescriptions for chronic pain patients, who are increasingly given less addictive painkillers along with referrals for acupuncture, physical therapy, massage and even yoga.
HMO Doctors Take Pains To Slash Opioid Prescriptions
A Kaiser Permanente pain management program in Southern California aims to help patients taper off addictive painkillers. Some doctors and patients see it as a godsend; others complain that patients have been cut off medications they need.
