opioid crisis News

Another Oklahoma Tribe Sues Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors

A tribe in Oklahoma has filed a lawsuit accusing 26 drug manufacturers and distributors of contributing to the tribe’s opioid epidemic by fraudulently misrepresenting the risks and benefits of addictive painkillers. The lawsuit filed by the Ponca Tribe is similar …

Drugmakers Scale Back Marketing of Opioids

Purdue Pharma LP’s decision to stop promoting its opioid drugs to doctors is being hailed as the first result of a judge’s push for concrete solutions to a nationwide epidemic, even though the company says the move has nothing to …

Trump Backs U.S. Lawsuit Against Opioid Firms, Tougher Penalties for Dealers

President Donald Trump on Thursday called for a federal lawsuit against opioid companies and stiffer penalties for drug dealers, arguing that the government must take a strong approach to combat an opioid addiction epidemic. Trump said that he had urged …

Insurance Company Gives Delaware $325K in Grants for Opioid Crisis

An insurance company has given four Delaware organizations $325,000 in grants to combat the state’s opioid crisis. The News Journal of Wilmington reports Highmark Delaware President Tim Constantine announced the grants Monday as “no organization or entity can fight this …

Senate Report Links Drugmakers’ Donations to Opioid Crisis

Five opioid manufacturers including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP have paid more than $10 million to advocacy groups and doctors tied to them, many of whom amplified industry messages supporting the use of the painkillers, a U.S. Senate report said …

Tribe Continues Suit Against Drug Distributors; Refiles in State Court

The Cherokee Nation has refiled a lawsuit against opioid distributors in state court after a federal judge ruled that tribe’s court system had no jurisdiction over the companies. Lawyers filed the suit in Sequoyah County, which is part of the …

Accidental Deaths in Pennsylvania Rose in 2016, Driven By Opioid Overdose

According to National Safety Council (NSC) analysis of federal data, 1,086 more Pennsylvanians died accidentally in 2016, an increase of 15 percent over 2015. Opioid overdose led to 78 percent of those deaths. This comes on the back of NSC …

Law Aimed at Maine Opioid Crisis Goes into Effect

A new law aimed at addressing Maine’s opioid crisis is coming into effect as advocates demand more urgency. Law enforcement officials say 376 Mainers died of a drug overdose in 2016. Republican Rep. Deborah Sanderson backed a new law that …

Arkansas Medical Board OKs Draft Regulations Aimed at Curbing Opioid Abuse

The Arkansas State Medical Board has approved draft regulations aimed at reducing opioid abuse. The board unanimously voted in favor of the regulations on Dec. 7. The requirements are based on guidelines issued last year by the federal Centers for …

Who Is Most at Risk for Opioid Death and How to Help Them: Columbia Research

Just over 60 percent of individuals who died from an opioid overdose had been diagnosed with a chronic pain condition, and many had been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, a study of more than 13,000 overdose deaths has found. Only …