Insurer To Purdue Pharma: We Won't Pay For OxyContin Anymore
Embattled drugmaker Purdue Pharma defends OxyContin as some insurers are dropping the drug in favor of other abuse-deterrent opioid painkillers.
opioids
Inspired By Her Own Pain, A Researcher Explores Alternatives To Opioid Treatments
New options for nonaddictive pain treatment are sorely needed. One researcher is borrowing from the field of cancer nanomedicine to test an idea that could bring relief to chronic pain sufferers.
Ketamine, A Promising Depression Treatment, Seems To Act Like An Opioid
A Stanford research team finds that ketamine's ability to quickly relieve depression may depend on activating the brain's opioid system. The finding raises new questions about the drug's safety.
North Carolina Sees Nation's Second Highest Surge In Opioid Deaths
A new report shows North Carolina has the nation's second highest increase in opioid deaths.
Dozens Overdose In Connecticut Park On Tainted Synthetic Marijuana
More than 70 people fell ill in or around a historic park in New Haven, near the Yale University campus. Police believe the synthetic cannabinoid K2 laced with fentanyl caused the rash of overdoses.
Families Choose Empathy Over 'Tough Love' To Rescue Loved Ones From Opioids
Families are starting to adopt an approach that stresses compassion instead of harsh consequences for loved ones with addiction. Their goal? Keep them alive long enough to recover.
Sending Letters About Their Patients' Overdoses Changes Doctors' Prescribing Habits
Many doctors never find out when a patient dies from an overdose. A new study shows that when find out, it can alter the way they prescribe addictive drugs.
A Surge In Meth Use In Colorado Complicates Opioid Recovery
Last year, 280 Coloradans who died of a drug overdose had methamphetamine in the mix. That's up sharply from 2016 and more than five times the number in 2012.
Watchful Eyes: At Peer-Run Injection Sites, Drug Users Help Each Other Stay Safe
In Vancouver, drug users run their own safe injection sites. Public health officials are taking note of how they operate — peers helping each other stay alive in a judgment-free zone.
REPORT: 1.6 Billion Opioid Doses Poured Into Missouri Over 6 Years
A Senate investigation into prescription opioids in Missouri finds that pharmaceutical wholesalers had different standards for reporting suspicious orders to the Drug Enforcement Administration.