opioids

Overdose Deaths Soared to 70,000 Deaths last Year, Yet FDA Approves New Painkiller that Is 1000 Times More Powerful than Morphine

The potential that th drug will be diverted and abused is likely. AcelRx, the manufacturer of Dsuvia, anticipates $1.1 billion in annual sales despite public health risks, which pale in comparison to the enormous profits that the company stands to reap from sales.

FDA Approves Powerful Opioid as Thousands Overdose Each Year

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the nation’s health watchdog, yet it has just approved a powerful new opioid, even as opioid overdoses continue to claim thousands of lives each year. [1]
The drug, approved November 2, is for use in healthcare settings. It will not be available in pharmacies. The medication is 5 to 10 times more potent than fentanyl, a painkiller sometimes mixed with heroin and other synthetic drugs. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were involved in nearly 20,000 deaths in 2017. [1] [2]

Study: States with Legal Marijuana Administer Fewer Opioid Prescriptions

http://naturalsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/Medical_Cannabis_Laws_and_Opioid_Prescribing_in_the_Medicare_Part_D_Population.mp3
Research shows that fewer opioid prescriptions are written in states that have access to legal marijuana. Could there be a connection between decreased opioid use and marijuana legalization? [1]

Drug Enforcement Administration Investigates Pill Mills in Small Rust Belt Town

DEA agents discover another small town in America’s Rust Belt with an overabundance of opioids.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) last week conducted inspections at several pharmacy locations in the Clay County, Tennessee town of Celina, following a massive spike of painkiller purchases from drug distribution companies.

Study Shows How Doctors GET PAID to Fuel the Opioid Crisis

Most doctors are wonderful people and consummate professionals who truly want the best for their patients. But a recent study suggests much of the blame for the opioid crisis lies squarely on the shoulders of doctors who write prescriptions for hard-hitting opioids when other simpler pain-relieving methods would suffice.
The study shows that as recently as 2015, doctors were still prescribing the addictive and potentially deadly painkillers even for minor injuries in great numbers.