Forsyth County will use opioid settlement money to fund harm reduction kits, support services
Forsyth County Commissioners this week agreed to allot over a million dollars to programs aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic.
opioid crisis
Over-the-counter Narcan will save lives, experts say. But the cost will affect access
Advisers to the FDA put the opioid overdose-reversal drug a step closer to being sold without a needing a prescription. Even if approved, the medication may not reach many people who need it.
CVS and Walgreens agree to pay $10 billion to settle lawsuits linked to opioid sales
CVS would pay about $5 billion and Walgreens more than $5.5 billion, though neither company has admitted wrongdoing. States have until the end of the year to accept the terms of the settlement.
Drug overdose deaths are at a record high. Here's what the White House plans to do
Harm reduction is one of four policies the Biden administration says must be immediately implemented in order to address the record high number of overdose deaths.
Black Americans are now dying from drug overdoses at a higher rate than whites
New research shows drug overdose deaths continue to surge among Black Americans. For the first time since 1999, Black Americans are dying at a higher rate per capita than white Americans.
4 U.S. companies will pay $26 billion to settle claims they fueled the opioid crisis
The companies, including Johnson & Johnson and McKesson, will admit no wrongdoing. Billions of dollars in payouts will fund drug treatment and harm reduction programs.
Native American tribes reach a tentative opioid settlement with J&J and distributors
Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and Cardinal Health will pay $590 million to Native American tribes under a proposed settlement for the companies' role in the opioid crisis.
A jury holds Teva Pharmaceuticals liable in the opioid crisis
A separate trial will follow to determine what Teva will have to pay in the case, in which New York state and two Long Island counties took on a swath of drug companies.
More than a million Americans have died from overdoses during the opioid epidemic
New research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found roughly 932,000 fatal overdoses from 1999-2020. Preliminary data shows another 100,000 deaths this year.
A brain circuit linking pain and breathing may offer a path to prevent opioid deaths
Opioids can kill because they reduce breathing along with pain. Now brain scientists have made a discovery that could lead to potent pain drugs that don't affect breathing.