November 9, 2017 Single or divorced Americans account for high rate of opioid overdose deaths: report A report released by Sen. Mike Lee’s office says that opioid-related deaths are occurring more frequently among younger Americans, particularly those who are single or divorced and lack a college education.
September 29, 2017 Makers of fast-acting opioids will have to pay for training, FDA says Makers of fast-acting opioids will have to fund voluntary training for healthcare professionals who prescribe the drugs, including education on safe prescribing practices and non-opioid alternatives, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Thursday.
September 27, 2017 Painkiller maker stops sales at FDA request because of abuse The maker of opioid painkiller Opana ER is pulling the drug off the market at the request of federal regulators because it's being abused.
September 26, 2017 More than a third of US adults prescribed opioids in 2015 The United States needs to curb excessive opioid prescribing and improve access to pain management techniques, suggests a new government study.
September 26, 2017 Dog revived with Narcan after getting into pain pills A 3-year-old Labrador named “Addie” is believed to be the first dog in the state of Maine to be revived with Narcan, after she got into her owner’s purse and ingested 25 pain pills.
September 26, 2017 Oversupply of pain pills after surgery helps fuel opioid epidemic Reuters Health - More than two-thirds of surgery patients in a recent study had prescription opioids left over after they recovered from their operations, and the vast majority failed to safely store or dispose of the often misused and abused pills, researchers say.
September 26, 2017 Opioid crisis: Trump's drug czar vows to take on doctors and dealers, help addicts The Trump administration is ready for war, and the president's top general in this particular fight says there is no more time to waste.
September 19, 2017 Laughing gas makes a comeback as painkiller in ambulances Normally used in dentist's offices and hospitals, nitrous oxide -- yes, laughing gas -- is starting to turn up again in ambulances in some rural areas where medical workers with clearance to provide more traditional painkillers often aren't on board.
September 19, 2017 Groups seek ban on high-dose opioids citing overdose danger Safety advocates and state health officials are formally calling on the Food and Drug Administration to ban high-dose opioid painkillers to prevent accidental overdose deaths among patients and people who abuse drugs.
July 6, 2017 Macklemore shows harsh reality of prescription drug abuse in 'Drug Dealer' music video In a raw music video for his new song “Drug Dealer,” hip-hop artist Macklemore paints a stark and moving picture of his personal struggle with prescription drug abuse, which mirrors a nationwide epidemic that has increased death rates among middle-age white people in the United States.
