pills

This 1980 Letter from Researchers Helped Fuel the Opioid Epidemic

The U.S. opioid epidemic is claiming lives at a breakneck pace. More than 52,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2015, according to the CDC – an average of 1 death every 10 minutes. Nearly 33,000 of those deaths involved opioids, including prescription painkillers and heroin. Now we know how the crisis began unfurling: a 101-word letter written by Boston University Medical Center researchers, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. [1] [2]

The FDA Wants this Highly Addictive Opioid Taken off the Market

On June 8, 2017, the FDA requested that the drug-maker Endo Pharmaceuticals stop selling Opana ER – the extended-release version of Opana – because of “public health consequences of abuse.” It is the first time the agency has made efforts to pull an opioid from the market due to its highly addictive nature. [1]
According to the FBI, Opana ER is becoming a popular drug to crush, dissolve, and inject. An outbreak of HIV, Hepatitis C, and a serious blood disorder have been fueled by drug users sharing needles.

FDA Warns 14 Companies over Questionable Health Product Claims

The FDA is warning consumers to avoid 65 products sold online which, according to the agency, come with bogus claims that they can treat, cure, diagnose, or prevent cancer, along with other medical conditions. However, the companies which received the warning were not ordered to stop selling their products. [1]
Referring to the pills, creams, and teas as “a cruel deception,” the FDA says the products are a waste of time and money, and have the potential to harm buyers.

This Hospital Will Do Anything to Avoid Prescribing Opioids

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been taking steps to cut opioid misuse and overdoses by issuing guidelines to doctors who prescribe the powerful painkillers. While the recommendations are not legally binding, the agency urges physicians in the guidelines to only prescribe opioids if there are absolutely no other options, and to only prescribe a few days’ worth of pills at a time.